Shall I show you a True Shield?
by Ryujin Maou
Summary: Does the hero always win? All fairy-tales end when the heroes save the day, however, is reality like that? "I'm the Shield; my duty is to protect. If a hero is not enough, I shall become whatever is necessary. Devil, demon, Demon Lord. I need defense, defense that surpasses the gods. To protect those whom I've been left with, to fullfil my duty. I'm the Shield!" "I am the Shield!"
1. Hero Summoning

**Reviewed in 05/21/19 for spelling mistakes and wrongly written name. (Motoyasu was being written as Moyatatsu or Moyatasu)**

* * *

**Shield Hero (Shall I show you a True Shield?)**

_Does the hero always win? All fairy-tales finish when the heroes save the day, however, is reality like that?_

"_I'm the Shield; my duty is to protect. If a hero is not enough, I shall become whatever is necessary. Devil, demon, Demon Lord. I need defense, defense that surpasses the gods. To protect those whom I have been left with, to fullfil my duty. I am Shield Hero"_

"_I am the Shield!"_

* * *

_You know~_

Waking up atop some strange magic circle, wearing your most comfy jersey and suddenly finding a shield strapped to your arm is weird enough on its own.

Now add up the man in priestly garbs bowing down and shouting at him, well, you'd have to forgive Naofumi if he was thinking this was some fever dream due to being hit too hard on his head by that damn falling book.

"Please, Oh Brave Heroes, save our world!"

Iwatani Naofumi was a rather easy-going person. 20 years old, a rogue-ish appearance with his wild black hair, and on the third period of his Economics College Course. He was fairly sure he was no hero. He glanced to his side, seeing other three men close to him atop the dimly lit stone formation.

A tall, blondie with a charming aura about him was holding a simply decorated spear embedded with a red gem in the guard.

A shortie with black hair and a serious face. He had a plain sword with a blue gem. The boy, if his height was anything to go about, looked miffed and had a bit of a pale face.

The last one was holding a bow. He was looking at the weapon in fascination, his soft, girlie looks taking some of the seriousness off his face.

The man (priest?) once more tried to gather the attention of the _heroes._

"Oh, Noble Heroes, we have used an ancient ritual that allow us to summon your aid when times of calamity befall our world. We plead your assistance!" The quartet of "heroes" looked at each other, each having a wry smile.

"We will surely explain everything you need to know, but for now please, follow me. I will take you to our king. He asks of your presence on the throne room."

"Sure, guide us there." The blondie with the spear says in a super casual tone.

"I guess we have little choice, but follow the original plot huh?" Bow guy softly says.

"Hmph." Black haired sword boy nods.

"Please take us to the king." Naofumi says, scratching the back of his neck. As he does this, he takes the chance to look around the room. All he manages to see are other mages, or what he assumes to be, all wearing hooded cloaks. They looked to be extremely tired, some collapsed on the ground._ I suppose magic can be tiresome? _

As they followed the head mage, Naofumi took a glance of one of the window holes of the descending tower. The scenery was pretty amazing, luscious land dotted with buildings akin to a medieval painting. Even the air he was breathing seemed better, purer.

Their descent took some time, time which Naofumi took to ascertain his body's condition. So far, he felt normal, great even. His body seemed full of energy and vigor, something you wouldn't expect of an economy course student.

Ten minutes of walking later and the four heroes found themselves in front of a magnificent door guarded by knights in armor. They uncrossed their spears from the door, and after a few polite knocks from the mage, they were allowed to enter.

They approached the supposed king, an elderly looking man wearing fancy, purple and golden garbs and a golden crown with a purple gem embedded in the center. All around him were many fancifully dressed individuals, their low whispers a constant echo in the throne room. The guarding knights around the place stayed quiet, but their presence was hard to ignore, considering the shine of their polished armor pieces.

"I am Melromarc Aultocray the XXXII, King of Melromarc. Heroes, please introduce yourselves." Naofumi's first impression of this man was not the most pleasant. The king kept looking at them as if they were lower than him. His tone was dry and rather focused, not like the mage from earlier.

"Well, I suppose introductions are a must after all. I'm Kitamura Motoyasu, 21 years old and a university student." Spear guy, Motoyasu, said with pompous manner, a quick movement of his spear displayed some skill with polearms.

The black-haired teen scoffed and walked two steps forward. "I'm Amaki Ren, age 16. Highschool student." Short and to the point, Sword boy (Ren) stated his piece.

"I am Kawasumi Itsuki, 17 years-old. I'm also in highschool." Itsuki's introduction was quite polite and posh, his every move seemed to be calculated to please the eyes.

Naofumi took a breath and moved to introduce himself.

"I'm—"

"Motoyasu-sama, Ren-sama and Itsuki-sama, correct?" Aultocray cut Naofumi, eyes solely focused on the three in front of him.

_Weird, but I guess I don't stand out…_

Naofumi raised his hand, making the king look his way.

"Forgive me, eh, your majesty, but you seemed to have skipped me." A quick exchange of eyes happened. Naofumi second-guessed himself, but he swore he saw contempt inside Aultocray's eyes as the king looked over him.

"Oh yes, the Hero of the Shield. Go on," Again, Naofumi sensed hidden hostility towards him.

"Right, I'm Iwatani Naofumi, Twenty-years-old, I'm also a university student." It seemed that only Naofumi found this situation awkward, seeing as the other three were waiting for him to finish his piece.

The mage took center stage, spreading his arms and approaching the four Japanese men. "Oh heroes, if you could please confirm your status so we can properly proceed." _Status? _Naofumi didn't let his confusion appear on his face, but he could see something shining at the corner of his vision._ You mean this…_

He flinched when the icon suddenly expanded, displaying several charts.

"You guys haven't figured this one out yet? The little box at the bottom right of the screen or whatever." Ren said, rather annoyed at something.

Motoyasu exclaimed. "OHH! You right! Let's see, it says here that I'm the Spear Hero." The spear hero looked rather excited; Ren shook his head sideways and Itsuki maintained a rather polite smile.

Naofumi kept his eyes on his screen. He also felt giddy, but the numbers in front of him cut his excitement.

**-[Iwatani Naofumi Shield Hero Lv.1]-**

**-[Equipment: **_Small Shield (Legendary Equipment_), _Otherworldly clothes._**]-**

"That's fine and dandy, but our levels are at one." Naofumi stated out loud, the other heroes also taking notice of the detail.

"We would like to ask of you four that you strengthen your Legendary Weapons before the next Wave of Calamity. The fate of our world rides on your shoulders, oh noble heroes." The mage from before spoke again, and Naofumi remembered that they still had not been explained the why of their summoning. However, before he could voice his concerns, Ren spoke out.

"About these Waves of Calamity and whatnot, you haven't even explained why we are here. Hoping for our cooperation, yet withholding information from us; I hope you don't take us for fools." Harsh words came from Ren, Motoyasu and Itsuki suddenly assuming a semblance of a stance.

"That's right! You can't expect us to work for free, right? Say, if we were to fight in these waves you speak off, what guarantee do we have that you won't simply send us off with our hands empty after we beat it?" Motoyasu spun his spear and clanged the butt end on the ground. Itsuki didn't anything else, but his hand pulling the bowstring was enough.

Naofumi, although a bit startled by the sudden aggression of his fellow heroes, had to agree to their line of thought. Being an Economics student, one thing that had been engraved in his mind was that "Nothing is free, everything has a price". While his kinder heart told him to help regardless, his mind called out details of his trip here so far.

Shiny armor, fancifully dressed individuals, pompous attitude. These details didn't point out to a distressed nation being attacked.

He shifted into a more defensive position, holding his shield in front of his vitals. Precaution was never enough.

"Rest easy, heroes! It would bring utmost shame upon our nation to not reward their saviors. Of course, you'll receive rewards, glory and fame. We ask that you trust in our word and fight the waves." The king spoke loudly, many of the nobles around them also nodding and lightly clapping to their sovereign's words. Naofumi couldn't help but notice the many pieces of jewelry adorning the king's hands as he continued speaking, explaining the reason behind the hero summoning.

Aultocray said that since ancient times, Waves of Calamity came over the world from a dimensional crack in the sky, pouring in all types of demons that threatened the world with destruction. Heroes were summoned to help combat the demons, their strength necessary to end the Waves as they would become harder and harder to fight off.

A large hourglass called _The Hourglass of the Dragon's Era _was said to count down the time between the waves, with the first one having already happened three days ago.

As the king finished his explanations, Naofumi pondered about what he heard and compared it to the book he read.

The Waves check out, the name of the country too. It being a monarchy, the summoning of fours heroes with four holy weapons. There was, however, one thing missing. In the pages of the book, just before he felt the blankness enter his mind, it was stated that a princess would cause discord among the heroes and that she would be the one to bring the end of the world.

So far, Naofumi had not seen anyone princess-like among the court. Not to toot his own horn, but he guessed that the grand summoning of the four holy heroes would be something important enough to warrant the presence of the entirety of the royal family. So far, only the king occupied his throne, the seat of the queen was empty and the one he assumed to be the seat of the heir of the throne was also empty.

"Heroes, let us feast your successful summoning. A banquet is being prepared, so please, rest for now. We shall have our maids summon you when it's time for the feast.

"Very well." Motoyasu once more hit the butt end of his spear on the ground.

"Hmph." Ren scoffed, waiting for the maid.

"…" Itsuki stayed silent, his fixed smile plastered over his face.

Naofumi quickly peeked at his status as he waited. A few seconds after the king's parting words, a maid came over to them.

"Please heroes-sama, follow me." She motioned for them to follow, which they promptly did. As they all walked the decorated halls, Moyatatsu was quick to get close to the maid, striking conversation rather easily. The woman broke into conversation with the spear hero, soft giggles already leaving her as she guided them into another fancy room.

It was rather large, containing expensive furniture, four splendid beds, beautiful tapestry and an exit leading to a veranda. As the maid exited the room and closed the doors, the heroes sat on their beds and relaxed somewhat. "I guess that's royalty for you, huh?" Ren said as he examined the curtains of the room.

"The setting is rather cliché, but I guess it has its charm." Itsuki let out as he looked at his bow.

"Right? The plot is somewhat similar to Emerald Online." Motoyasu was also eyeing his spear, doing a few basic thrusts to test the weapon.

"What are you talking about? This is just like a VRMMO I used to play." Ren also did some experimental swings with his sword.

Naofumi was feeling a bit lost here, seeing as he never heard about such things. He was an otaku alright, but he was pretty sure something like VRMMO was only in experimental stages.

"You all must be confusing this with something totally different. This is one of those A.I manipulated games that came out recently." Itsuki, Naofumi's last light, was also speaking nonsense.

He released a sigh.

"Naofumi!" Motoyasu and Itsuki came to Naofumi, the spear holding blonde calling out to him. "Tell him that I am right! You also played it, right?" The duo came close to stepping inside his personal space, ushering him to agree with one of them.

"Look, I have no idea of what you guys are talking about. There was is no Emerald Online, no VRMMO, and no A.I game, or anything like that, you know?" The trio of Ren, Itsuki and Motoyasu looked at him weirdly. "I guess that the closest thing you would find related to that would be WoW or some recently created MOBA right? In first place, VR is still in experimental stages and whatnot." Ren rose his brows at Naofumi's words.

The four heroes started a discussion, comparing some basic notions that couldn't be different, right?

Well, apparently not, considering no answer matched with each other. The current Japanese Prime minister, the person on the 10-thousend Yen bill, and even the current year. All different answers for each of the heroes.

"Are you telling me that we all came from different versions of Earth? That is crazy!" Naofumi stated the group's thoughts. They all were huddled together, sitting on Ren's bed, and now each was left to ponder on their own for a while.

After a few minutes of hard thought, Motoyasu was the first to break the silence.

"Well, not that it matters any way! Let's focus on another thing." The blonde hoped that someone would bring another topic, but their conversations mostly died down. "Wait, Naofumi, your weapon is a shield?" Naofumi once more became the focus of the group as eyes settled on his shield.

"That's right, Shield Hero and all that."

Motoyasu let out a disappointed breath and shook his head sideways.

"You know, don't take this personal, but in Emerald Online, Shield Bearers were bottom tier trash!" That was…something. "Their initial defense is high and all, but there are no high-level shield users. Hell, a shield isn't even a weapon, it's more like protective gear." Itsuki nodded along with Motoyasu's words. Ren was merely letting the situation play out, content on staying neutral.

Naofumi felt a little pissed off, but he could understand the blonde. When you heard weapon, you didn't exactly picture "Shield" in your mind; that, however, didn't mean he was taking this sort of talk towards him without firing some heat back.

"Anything can be a weapon, you know! I mean, even a spear or a sword can be used as a shield if the need arises." The three others paused, Motoyasu even assuming a pensive pose. Truly enough, you could block and defend with their weapons, but that just proved their practicality. Come on, for god's sake, it was _a shield_. What could it do?

"Besides that, these are Legendary Weapons! The possibilities are endless. Maybe I can find a shield that has a high attack." Naofumi said, standing up and going to the veranda. He leaned on the marble railing, watching the city. New possibilities, wonders and adventures were just waiting for him out there, he just needed to grab them and work hard. Sure, it seemed like he had stumbled upon a setback, but maybe he could equip a sword and focus on developing his attack.

Just as Naofumi finished his thoughts, he felt static ran through his fingers, giving him a shock. He almost shouted at the unexpected pain, but just as it arrived, it was gone. He grumbled, but his menu popped up, a notification shining brightly.

**-[ALERT!]-**

**[Breach of Sacred Agreement! A hero may only use their Legendary equipment to fight. Holding another weapon with the intent to fight breaches the Holy Agreement.]**

_What the hell?_ Naofumi looked at his shield, eyes focused particularly at the green gem in the center. _Possessive little thing, aren't you? Telling me I can't fight with anything aside of you. You're not exactly sharp, you know? _ A ping like noise sounded in his mind as another menu popped up for him.

**-[Help Section]-**

**[The Legendary Weapon is capable of assuming various forms, as long as the user has unlocked them and has the necessary requirements for their use. Absorb various materials to unlock new Shield Series and strengthen the holy weapon.]**

_How neat! This is really awesome!_ Naofumi kept messing with his new found function. He noticed that his skill tree for the shields was full of locked entries, many more also had question marks. Even as he looked and messed with the menu, a few new shield entries kept popping up, all of them locked by level.

He glanced and tried to read more about the locked shields, but even their names were unavailable. He smiled, pleased about his discovery. He almost rushed to tell his fellow heroes about his news, but as he kept glancing at his menu section, something called his attention.

It was fairly hard to spot, considering that this world did not have the lighting his world have, but he managed to see it. An outline, vaguely shaped like a human, was perched on the roof, what he supposed to be the head was staring at the open windows of the heroes' room. What gave it away was the shade of black clothing it wore. Being such an Otaku, Naofumi researched many nerd-like things, including things about the accuracies of the ninja in his world. He found out that black was rather easy to spot in darkness, and that real ninjas used darker shades of blue or grey to hide from sight.

He looked at his fellow heroes and was about to call them, but a knock on their door sounded first.

_**~Knock knock~**_

"_Heroes-sama, the king has called for you. The banquet in your honor is served."_ The muffled voice of the maid from earlier sounded behind the door. The three inside the room answered that they were coming.

Naofumi looked away from the door and back to where he saw the suspicious shape, finding nothing as he looked around. He scratched behind his neck, wondering if he was seeing things.

"Naofumi." Ren called him out. "The other two already went ahead. I'd still like to eat something, so hurry up." While the tone was rather passive-aggressive, Naofumi thanked that someone had waited for him.

"Thanks for waiting Ren. Let's go!"

* * *

After the dinner, the heroes came back to their room. Tomorrow would be the day that they would embark on their journeys; as such, they would receive some financial backing from the king to really kick things up.

Naofumi laid on his bed, wondering about the day's events. His reception had been clearly different from the rest of the heroes, seeing as the Aultocray made an effort to remember their names, whereas he merely called him Shield Hero or Shield. The eyes were windows to the soul, as they would say back in Japan, and right now Naofumi was not seeing a welcoming reception for him.

He was not expecting people to bow and worship the ground where he stepped, but he'd thank some neutral treatment, at the very least.

He sighed.

The Shield Hero once more opened the menu of his status, looking once more at his skill tree. Seeing the many types of different shields made him all the more eager to unlock, discover and thinker. He focused on the one shield unlocked at his level, the information popping up. He also discovered that he was the only one able to see this screen.

**-[Legendary Shield (small)]-**

**+Fully unlocked.**

**+Bonus skill: Magic Protection (max)**

He focused on the bonus skill, the screen growing a bit to display the effects of the shield.

**Magic Protection****: A aura that fully surrounds the hero, said aura displays the same defense capabilities as the hero's defense status.**

_This world really feels like a game, doesn't it?_ He pondered to himself. Maybe he had started the day on the wrong foot, but nothing that a good night of sleep wouldn't fix.

He turned and tossed for a while, trying to find a good position. It was messing like this that he found out he could move the shield anywhere he wished, so long as it stayed in contact with his body.

* * *

**Next day**

**Throne room.**

After the heroes woke up, they were immediately summoned by the king to the throne room.

It seemed Ren was not a morning person, considering his face was extra scowling as the four of them stood in front of the old king. Naofumi himself was trying to stifle a yawn by pretending to be messing with his shield.

"Noble heroes, I hope you had a most wonderful rest. Today you will embark on your journey to defeat the waves and to help you on this most perilous task, we have acquired the best adventures in the city." At the king's prompt, the doors opened and twelve adventures poured in and presented themselves. Mages, scouts, warriors. It was certainly a different bunch.

"Now adventurers, choose the hero whom your heart wishes to serve." Naofumi almost voiced his confusion at the event, but he guessed that he could not force people to help him. He closed his eyes and waited for the noise of shuffling feet to end before he opened them again.

To his utter bafflement, not a single person had opted to stay behind him. Ren had five followers, Itsuki had three and Motoyasu had four. Naofumi normally would not be jealous, but the smug blonde almost had an all-female troupe following him, excluding the one guy in that group.

"This certainly is a unique situation." Aultocray sounded troubled. A nobleman came to speak on his ear, the king looking in deep thought for a moment. "It seems rumors about you have been circling around the castle. It might also be a charisma problem." The king stroked his white beard as he pondered.

Naofumi looked at his fellow heroes with somewhat pleading eyes. "Could you guys please help me out?" The other three looked at their followers.

"Anyone that can't keep up will be left behind." Ren stated, his serious face keeping the scowl from earlier. No one of his followers moved, all of them nodding to the sword hero. He simply shrugged his shoulders. At least he tried.

"Well, considering our numbers, an equal division would be the most optimal." As per Itsuki's words, Naofumi felt some hope. "However, we can't simply disregard their feelings. Their choice is their choice." Hope was shot down immediately.

"Can't fault a guy for being popular, can you?" Motoyasu's smug was annoying for sure. _Ryajuu (Japanese slang term for a social normie) bastard._

"It looks like you will have to gather your own followers, Sir Shield. Fear not, we shall provide you with slightly higher funds for your journey. I take that all agree with this?" The three offensive heroes nodded, and Naofumi sighed.

Guards came and delivered to each hero leather bags that were full of metal coins. Naofumi's was slightly larger, but he managed to hold it without problems.

"Each of you had been given 600 silver coins, except Sir Naofumi who has 800. Please use these funds to equip yourselves and your party accordingly and push back against the evil that assails our land." The four heroes exclaimed "Hai!" and moved to exit the castle. As they exited the castle gates, Naofumi bid the other three farewell.

He felt someone starring at him, but did not look back. His stomach had been rumbling for a while, their early summon to the throne room not allowing the opportunity for breakfast. The shield hero observed the city in his high place close to the castle's gate.

Seeing as he was alone and had no knowledge of the city layout, he opted for the best option available. Buying information. He approached the castle guards, which seemed annoyed at his presence, but still talked to him. A few complimentary words, a few silver coins and the Japanese man was well on his way to the market place, a rough city map in hand.

He walked with an easy step, eyeing the many stalls and inns serving foodstuff. Many onlookers eyed him, his strange clothes an uncommon sight for sure. The hero thought about his choices and timeframe, and opted for a common street stall. After having his fill, and receiving a great deal of change in copper coins, he opted to walk the business district.

One apparent problem was the fact that he could not read any of the signs that had words on it. He scratched his neck, wondering what he was to do. Many signs had symbols, representing what they meant, so taking that fact in stride, Naofumi entered a building with a sword and anvil crossed together, hoping it be a weapons dealer or a blacksmithing shop.

As he opened the heavy wooden door, the hero saw many different sets of weapons and armor. He complimented himself, smiling as he looked around the shop. Behind the counter stood a tanned man wearing simple clothes and over it was a leather apron.

"Hey there kid, looking for a good weapon?" The man had an easy smile, hands pointing to some of his merchandise. Naofumi approached the man.

"What do you have in terms of defense?" The man rose his brow, looking at the shield in his arm. "Yeah, I'm kind of the Shield Hero, and my weapon is a bit obsessive over me."

The smith let out a surprised noise. "Hmm, you are one of them fancy heroes summoned, guess the rumors were true. Pleasure meeting ya' kid, name's Erhart. Well, to what do I owe the visit of a hero in my humble shop?" Naofumi smiled at the _humble _man.

"Some armor, I guess. Nothing too heavy and easy to move with would be a good start. Besides that, I don't think I really need anything…" Naofumi pondered a while. Then, he remembered. "Yeah, if you could bring some ore and some ingots, that would be good." Erhart searched under his counter for some time before he put atop the counter a few pieces of armor.

"Depending on how much you want to spend, we have got some these options. Boiled-leather armor, Reinforced leather, Chainmail, and plated armor. Each of these go for about 150 to 250 silver pieces." The smith pointed to the armors, giving the price of each as he pointed and explained the benefits of each piece. "About those ores and the ingots, why do you want them? I've got some to spare."

Naofumi picked the Boiled-leather armor, examining the flexibility. "I told you that I'm the Shield Hero, right? The shield is magical, so it can become stronger if I absorb different materials; I'm hoping to find something that will increase my offensive power." He placed the armor back in place and after examining the others, he chose the chainmail. It offered some considerable protection and didn't hinder movement.

"Magic Shield, huh? Mind if I take a peek at it?" Naofumi offered the arm with the shield, Erhart bringing a monocle-like lenses and looking in concentration at the magic gem in his shield. The tanned man sighed, disappointed with something as he scratched the bald spot on his head. "Can't really tell you anything about it. Only thing I got from it is that the magic gem on it is quite powerful." The tanned man hummed, going in a room. He came back soon after, carrying many materials with him.

"Here, try feeding your shield these. Let's see what it does." As he set the materials on the counter, Erhart extended his open hand to Naofumi. "Little guarantee first, since I don't know if you will try to dash as soon as you have what you want!" As if Naofumi would try to! The man looked like he could strangle a bear with those arms of his.

He pretended to be offended, and grumbling, placed his leather purse atop the counter. "This dissuade you about that?" Enhart laughed with gusto, slapping Naofumi across the back, almost making the hero crumble.

"I like you, An-chan (Young one)! Come one, let's see what your shield is all about!" Naofumi picked an iron ingot, looking at it and hoping what he read yesterday to be true. He approached the ingot to the green gem, the crystal shining with vigor. It began sucking the iron ingot, consuming about half the ingot before it stopped.

**-[Iron Shield unlocked!]-**

**[Iron Shield]**

**-Increase in defense +8 (potential locked)**

**Bonus skills (locked): Reinforcement, Slashing resistance (small), Piercing resistance (small), Blunt resistance (small).**

"Awesome!" Naofumi exclaimed, immediately switching to his new shield. It didn't change much from the original design, gaining a more graphite-like color and seemingly becoming more rugged around the edges. He deposited the half-consumed ingot piece on the counter and grabbed the next material without even looking, so great as his enthusiasm with the sudden increase in status.

**[Raw Iron Ore Shield unlocked!] [Black Iron Shield unlocked!] [Silver Shield unlocked!] [Raw Silver Ore Shield unlocked.] [Steel Shield unlocked] [Bronze Shield unlocked] [Copper Shield unlocked] [Raw Copper Ore Shield unlocked] [Iron Sand Shield unlocked] [Whetstone Shield unlocked] [Rope Shield unlocked] [Coal Shield unlocked]**

His defense status jumped rapidly as he continuously feed material after material to his shield. Erhart was a bit afraid of the glint in Naofumi's eyes as the hero eyed one thing after another, wondering what he could stuff into his shield.

"Easy there An-chan, you even fed it the rope I had set aside for you. I won't be able to feel at ease in my own shop if you keep feeding anything that isn't nailed to the ground to that shield." Even as the man spoke, Naofumi's head snapped into the blacksmith's direction.

"You're a genius, Old man! Do you have nails? Sell me them, let's see if I can get a boost to my attack. All I got so far were defense bonuses and some skills." Naofumi was truly on fire today!

"Alright, alright, just calm down and don't break anything, else you pay for it, in cash!" The tanned blacksmith shook his head sideways and searched his smithy for the nails. He came back with a handful of them, some thick and some thin. The hero eyed the little metal rods as if hungry, making the smith smirk as he settled the nails on the counter.

Immediately, the hero grabbed a few different types. Once more his shield's gem shone and absorbed the different nails. As the duo waited, the Japanese's eyes watered.

**-[Iron Nail Shield unlocked]-**

**[Iron Nail Shield]**

**-Increase in attack +2; Increase in defense +5**

**+Passive skills: Building proficiency(small).**

**+Bonus skill: Spiked-counter.**

**-[Iron Stake Shield unlocked]-**

**[Iron Stake Shield]**

**-Increase in attack +4; Increase in defense +7**

**+Passive skills: Nail-spiked defense(locked) (Temp. defense +2).**

**+Bonus skill: Blunt Spike.**

Naofumi almost shouted to high heavens. Finally, some offensive power!

* * *

He calmed down and apologized for his behavior. He also asked Erhart about things such as field equipment and camping gear. To his luck, the tanned man had such items available, although they costed a pretty penny. In total he had spent about 350 out of his 800 silver coins. After some more moments of small talk, Naofumi exited the shop. Now, he finally looked somewhat adventurous, dressed in chainmail and carrying a big backpack.

He exited the city gate and watched in awe the fields around the city. He managed to catch the figure of his fellow heroes in the distance, excelling at dealing with round, leather-like creatures. Their followers mostly watched and talked to the heroes, no doubt explaining questions and helping.

Naofumi released a sigh._ Well, at least I got some sweet bonuses back on Old man's shop. _

He walked down the road, eyes the fields in hopes of finding a mob. Best get accustomed to combat now and learn his role as a literal tank. He rolled his shoulders, not really accustomed to the weighty backpack and resisting the urge to scratch his itchy back. The weight of the chainmail also was something new, making his movement somewhat awkward.

As he approached a stretch of the field, his vision caught movement in the bushes. He raised his shield in anticipation of finally having his first fight. He approached the moving shrubbery, hoping to coax out whatever was hiding in there.

An orange ball shot at him with some decent speed. He managed to parry the bouncy enemy from his shield, the violent leather ball snarling with its cuteish maws. He stood in front of this weirdly cute enemy, and prepared for a face-off, not noticing the other balloons surrounding him.

He rushed to punch first, his fist connecting square with the ball, yet not really doing much. There was some damage, the leather seams of the creature almost breaking apart. He punched again, however, the balloon bit on his fist. He expected to feel pain at the bite, the sharp teeth certainly seemed enough to break skin.

Imagine his surprise when he felt absolutely nothing. There was a slight pressure where the teeth were pushing, but no pain, not even a mild annoyance. He was about to punch the balloon again when suddenly, a dozen of the round creatures jumped at him, biting down wherever they could.

He felt no pain, but he bet he looked utterly ridiculous with the balloons hanging on him akin to Christmas decorations. The soft green aura around his body also wasn't helping his case.

He changed his shield, from the simple form from before to the only his available shield (level 1 hell), the **[Iron Nail Shield]**. Said shield looked like a black slab of thin metal had been notched several times and the resulting thin strips pushed down. He wondered how he could attack with that thing without looking like some weird kamikaze.

As his arm lowered, the shield brushed against one of the balloons and he saw a message pop-up. **Counter activated. **The thin strips rapidly jutted out and pierced the three balloons clinging to his leg.

**Enemies defeated. **

**EXP gained +3.**

He certainly felt happy for the kills, although a bit less so when he saw the amount of experience he gained. His SP bar had also been drained, leaving what he assumed to be the magic bar untouched. He repeated the process about four times, killing all the clinging enemies.

**Enemy defeated.**

**Enemy defeated.**

**Enemy defeated**

**Exp gained +9.**

_Am I going to have to spend the day grinding away like this to level up?_ His eyes trailed down to the leather strips the creatures had dropped. _How about these?_

**-[Orange balloon Shield unlocked]-**

_Defense of +2? I guess each point matters._ Business class had taught him one thing, never underestimate the small numbers. Even dust, if pilled high enough, could become a mountain. No matter how small, he would accept any advantage he could.

He continued like this for a few hours, his hard work nicking him a level up. Not that level 2 was that of a big difference. He had unlocked a couple of other Balloon Series Shields, the only difference between them was their colors and the little bonuses they gave.

He took a break, eating an apple-like fruit as he looked over the result of today's hard work. The many +1 added to his already high defense made Naofumi wonder. If he took off his chainmail and faced the balloons in his normal clothes, would he feel their bite?

The sun was slowly setting over the horizon, coloring the sky in a deep orange hue. Red, yellow, orange melted in the sky to form a stunning scenery over the green fields. It was breathtaking.

He finished his snack, munching the rest of the bitter fruit, and grabbed his heavy pack. As he hoisted the heavy weight on his back, a feminine voice called him out.

"Ehh, hello Sir Shield Hero." He turned to the source, finding a beautiful woman. She had red hair, a fair face and a proportionate body. She was dressed in leather armor and had a sword sheathed on her waist. Naofumi remembered her from earlier in the day; she had joined Moyatatsu's group.

"H-hey there." He hated his little stutter, curse his non-existential charming skills. "What-, how can I help you?" _Real smooth Naofumi, just buttery smooth._

"I don't know if you remember me, but I was one of the adventurers that was summoned to assist the heroes. My name is Malty." She had charm, that's for sure. Her speech was soft in the ears, and she eyed him with conviction. "I was accompanying Moyatatsu-sama, the Spear Hero, but seeing you all alone here has touched my heart. No soul should be alone in such a perilous travel! If you'd allow, may I travel with you, Sir Shield?"

Naofumi's heart skipped a beat and he was sure he was blushing like an idiot._ Calm down, you fool! She just wants to travel together. Buying equipment is pretty expensive and with a big group one would have to split the money even more. I guess I'm a fair alternative!_

"Y-you sure Moyatatsu won't mind? I mean, you chose his group first and all." Pathetic excuses left his mouth. He really was not experienced when it came to girls.

Malty offered him a puppy-hurt, apologetic expression, and he sputtered, trying to not make her feel unwelcomed.

"It's not a problem! Not a problem at all!" He flailed around and she giggled at his foolishness. He released a pleased sigh at her renewed expression. Naofumi fixed his shoulders and pumped his chest up, trying to sound as courageous and as charismatic as possible. "It will be an honor having you accompanying me, Malty!"

"Thank you, Sir Shield Hero." He almost deflated when she called him like that once more. "Say, shall we head back to the city? It is darkening, and the monsters become more active and ferocious in the night." She stated.

"Yeah, let's go."

* * *

Back in town and inside a cozy inn, Naofumi and Malty were enjoying dinner as she explained the map, which he had bought from Erhart old man earlier in the day.

"Heading past Ryute Village there is a beginner's dungeon. Drops won't be anything worthwhile, but with our current equipment we should easily gain experience and increase our levels." Malty pointed the general area on the map, Naofumi nodding as he tried to estimate the distance. "This map isn't the most recent out, but we won't get lost following it."

"Getting the hang of a real battle, huh?" He murmured to himself, enjoying the supple taste of their meal. He had paid a little more for something above average, and so far, his steak was superb. He focused on Malty as she grabbed the wine bottle she had ordered and offered to fill his tankard; he had been drinking an orange-like juice.

"Care for some wine, Sir Shield Hero?" There it was once more. Maybe she was shy or not used to calling men by their name, but the way she only called him by a title irked him somewhat. She seemed to have no problem calling Moyatatsu by his name, why was it different for him? _I'm to fixated in small details. Maybe it's nothing…_

"Not really. Thanks for the offer." He answered. Naofumi wasn't bad with alcohol. To be fair, he never got drunk when he partied with his few friends back in the university in Japan; lightly buzzed at most. That made so that he was normally the one that had to take care of the drunkards and make sure they didn't destroy anything. Due to that, Naofumi avoided drinking alcohol.

He was fairly sure that this world would not have anything stronger than his world, so he would not make a fool out of himself; however, old habits die hard, and he wasn't feeling like drinking anything this soon in his journey. Maybe later, when he'd have more comrades, they could share a drink after a day of hard-fought battles.

Mallty seemed disappointed at his refusal, her eyes dropping a bit. He stayed strong in his decision. Her eyes focused on his, she spoke. "Sir Hero, did you know that Melromarc is a matriarchy? Normally, a man rejecting a woman's invitation for a drink is unheard of." She slowly moved the bottle closer to his side of the table.

"A matriarchy, huh?" He paid no attention to her subtle moves as he wondered where would the queen be. If Melromarc was truly a matriarchy, the queen should've been the one to meet Naofumi and the heroes, not King Aultocray. _Something wasn't adding up._

Naofumi finished the last of his meal and downed his drink. "Malty, I'm going to sleep first. Can we meet here at breakfast?" He asked her. She looked straight at him for a few seconds before smiling.

"Sure, breakfast it is!"

"Good night!" He bid her and moved from their table.

* * *

He entered his room and dropped his heavy baggage close to the bed. He also took off the chainmail and rolled his shoulders, before also removing his boots.

Naofumi pondered about today's events. The most recent piece of information he had received made the seed of doubt that he had filed away in the corner of his mind sprout.

_Why was the queen's throne empty if she was such an important figure? Where was she? Why was he perceived by the castle guards as an eyesore? Why did no one wanted to help him? Why, suddenly, there was a beautiful woman wishing to join his, previously empty, party? Why did the king hold such contempt in his eyes when he spoke to him?_

Naofumi gave up on sleeping and sat on the small chair his room had. He looked over his current possessions. He grabbed both the maps he had purchased today and spread them over the small table, close to his mostly full bag of money. The hero examined the city's map for a while; it wasn't a complicated map to be honest.

Making sure he memorized all the details of the city map he fed the parchment to his shield. For the first time, his shield only absorbed the map and nothing happened; he didn't unlock a new shield. Curious as to why, Naofumi unconsciously grabbed the next map and almost fed it to his shield.

He glanced at the second map, this one being even easier to memorize than the first. He gulped in some air and did the motion in one flow, feeding more parchment to his shield.

**-[Cartographer's Shield unlocked]-**

**[Cartographer's Shield]**

**-Increase in defense +1**

**+Passive skills: Cartography proficiency (medium); Terrain-recognition proficiency (small).**

**+Bonus Skill: World Map.**

Naofumi equipped the shield. His shield morphed into something akin to a binder. He opened the cover, the inside of the shield resembling a sci-fi screen from a manga he had read a while back. It seemed alive, showing little details of the areas he had been and coupled it together with the maps he fed the shield. There was even a little dotted trail following the locations of today.

He also grabbed a few silver and copper coins from his bag. He wondered if he should really be testing his ideas with money. _Hey! Nothing ventured, nothing gained!_ He brought first the copper coins onto the gem, which promptly sucked it greedily. While nothing happened again, Naofumi could feel something inside of him stir, almost as if the shield was asking for him to continue. He followed his gut, putting a few silver coins over the gem. It shone.

**-[Currency-Holder Shield unlocked]-**

**[Currency-Holder Shield]**

**-Increase in defense +2**

**+Passive skill (locked): Calculation proficiency(medium)**

**+Bonus skill: Void Bank storage**

His new shield was weird. It seemed more of a gauntlet with a small rectangular chest over the forearm, the gem atop the chest. He opened the chest and could see the inside of it, nothing out of common, just chest colored silver. Taking the name of his current bonus skill in stride, Naofumi grabbed his last copper coins.

He dropped them inside the little chest and they fit rather easily. He tried putting more coins, all of them fitting perfectly inside, giving him the view of a little treasure pile accumulating inside one corner of the chest. _This, legit, breaks so many laws of physics. Does this world actually follow the same laws?_

As he kept tinkering with his shield and his skills, Naofumi forgot about his earlier, more worried thoughts. To be honest, he was putting them aside, hoping that his line of thought was wrong and he was merely seeing things were there were none.

He fell asleep over the table, his shield, default state, serving as his pillow. He was never aware of the presence that entered his room and got closer to his back.

The presence was quiet, avoiding making any loud noises. The person tried to move the backpack close to the bed, but found the monstrous weight to be too much to bear. It examined the Shielded Hero, hoping to find something of value. When it found no coins and no wallet close by, the presence huffed, visibly annoyed.

It did a last round over the room, only grabbing the close chainmail and leaving soon after.

Naofumi would only wake by mourning, with loud bangs over the wooden door of his room.


	2. This is the reality of this world

_**Reviewed in 05/21/19 for wrongly writing character names (Was writing Motoyasu as Moyatatsu)**_

* * *

_**~BANG BANG BANG~**_

"Royal Guard, open up!" Screaming voices came from the front door, startling Naofumi awake. He looked at the wooden door, wondering what was this full all about. He made his way to the door, nursing his stiff neck. Definitively never sleeping atop my shield like that again!

The banging on the door was stronger this time, and Naofumi opened it before whoever it was broke the door and made him pay the inn for the damage.

"Who died?" He asked the first soldier he saw. The men were outraged, eyes screaming bloody murder. The shield hero was taken aback when the soldiers aggressively stormed inside his room and tried to grab him. He might not have that much attack, but Naofumi had a fairly big physical strength status, which allowed him to shrug off the knight. "What the fuck is going on?"

The other knights pulled their swords and made a circle around him. One of them helped the captain up on his feet, the man seething with rage. The captain dusted his chest and shouted at Naofumi. "Shield Hero, you are under arrest for suspicion of sexual assault!" Once more, the captain tried to subdue Naofumi; said attempt failed as Naofumi slapped away the grabbing hands.

"What the hell are you talking about? Sexual assault? I never left my room all night long!" The hero shouted back, eyeing the knights closing their formation around him.

"Enough with your excuses! Stop resisting and present yourself to the king." The captain made hand gestures for his subordinates to suppress Naofumi. The Shield hero was rather surprised by this sudden violence against him.

"HEY HEY! Enough! I will go see the king, no need to arrest me! Let me get my stuff first!" He shouted at the armed men, the lot turning their eyes to their captain. The man nodded.

Naofumi looked around the room, eager to solve whatever misunderstanding that was happening here. He put on his boots, but strangely found his chainmail to be missing. He looked around a bit more, a bit of anguish flooding his heart.

"Hurry up, you criminal! We've no time to lose with you." The captain once more shouted at the hero, sword drawn and ready.

"I'm not finding my armor!" Naofumi spoke loudly. The men each looked at another, but spoke nothing.

"You won't worm your way out of this one, scum! If you're done, let's go!"

In the end, Naofumi had to leave with only his backpack and the clothes he was wearing.

His escort to the castle was quick, the mood during the travel rather heavy.

They rapidly entered the throne room, the place already filled with people. There were various knights and nobles inside, the king in his throne and the heroes around him. Everyone looked at him as if he had done the dirtiest crime in history. Naofumi was feeling dread churn inside his stomach, but he pushed the feeling down.

The knight captain kicked him in the back, trying to push him down. His kick connected alright; however, it was akin to kicking a stone wall. He didn't let it show, but his metal protection over his boots was putting pressure on his foot. If one looked properly, they would see that the metal was caved in.

Naofumi, on his part, felt some pressure be applied to his back. It was rather light, so he ignored it in favor of facing the situation in front of him.

"YOU FIEND! The moment my eyes settled on you, I knew you'd be nothing but trouble for our country, you scum!" King Aultocray was rather vicious with his words, making the shield hero wince and stare in confusion.

"What is going on? I don't think you have the right person for this!" Naofumi pleaded in his defense. "I went to sleep last night and now I awake up, find my armor is missing and your knights ar—" He would continue, but he spotted Malty just behind Motoyasuu. "Hey, you can ask Malty about it, she saw me off going to sleep." The shield bearer extended his hands towards his redheaded companion, yet the girl further glued herself to the Spear Hero's back.

She trembled like a leaf and was letting out tiny sobs, using her hands to cover her face from him. _What is going on, Malty? _

"ENOUGH! Don't pretend to be innocent!" Motoyasu shouted at him, spear in tow. The blonde put himself in front of the girl, the other heroes covering her sides just as fast. "How could you do such an atrocious act?" Naofumi would pay more attention to the Spear Hero, if he wasn't wondering what in high hells the blonde was doing with his armor.

"Hey, where did you get that chainmail?" Naofumi asked, confusion clear in his voice tone.

"What, this?" The blonde looked at his armor. "It was a gift from Malty back when we met back on the pub." The hero bragged.

The redhead took the cue and with short breaths she said words that made Naofumi's stomach sink. "A-after that, I m-met with S-sir Shield…He was d-drunk and forced m-me into our r-r-room and-d…" Tears ran alongside her eyes as she used her hands to cover her mouth. She almost fell down, were it not for the support of both Sword and Bow heroes.

"It's enough Malty, don't talk anymore." Motoyasu spoke to her before turning to Naofumi and staring him down. "I never thought you would do such a thing, how could you?!"

Ren shook his head sideways. "Getting ahead and thinking of yourself greater than people just because you're a hero? Disgusting!"

"I knew you were different from us, but I never imagined it would be in this way…" Itsuki spoke.

"WHY THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN SUMMONED AS A HERO?" Motoyasu once more shouted at Naofumi.

_What is this? Why am I being insulted like this? What did I do to deserve this?_

Naofumi was looking straight at the heroes, and one thing called his attention. Malty had stopped sobbing rather quickly and her hands shifted a few centimeters, allowing her face to be in his view. His stomach sunk deeper, if such a thing was possible. He felt as if something was boiling inside of him, seeing the redhead pull one of her eyelids and show him her tongue as if to say "Sucker!".

_I have been set up._

It hit him full force. Every time she mentioned him, it was always "Sir Shield" or "Shield Hero", never ever his name. She would spout Moyatatsu's name as if it was honey on her mouth. The many small details of his short time in this otherworldly country came crashing down upon him. The king never liked him, the royalty around him looked at him as if looking at trash, even his fellow heroes thought him to be bellow them. And now this.

Had he not discovered his **[Currency-Holder Shield]**, would he also have been stolen his money? His armor was right in front of him, fitting snugly into this spear-yielding bastard.

"Did you want money and gear so fucking bad that you had to set me up like this?" He questioned the blonde. The others came and talked him down.

"Man, you really are a nuisance." Ren sighed. "Motoyasu was given enough for his party, same as us. Did you used to do this kind of thing before? Bet you did this to your friends all the time before coming here."

Itsuki had some sort of sneer fixed in his plastic face, saying something Naofumi didn't quite managed to catch.

Motoyasu did one better though. He hugged Malty, as if to protect her from some horrible monster. "Don't waste your breath coming up with pathetic excuses, you damned RAPIST!" The word seemed to sink into Naofumi's mind, ripping at his core and soul.

He felt something stir inside his gut. A dark feeling swelling up. Why was this happening? Was it because he was the shield? Because he couldn't fight on his own? _You all are going to gang up on me and kick me down to make yourselves look better? This is your justice?_

_Why should I fight for these people? For this world, for that matter? I didn't ask to be summoned here, you brought me by your own accord, without even considering my situation or feelings. _

Naofumi looked at all the trash gathered up in this place, making sure to remember all the faces he saw._ None of you really believed me, right? Your world can burn to ashes for all that I care!_

"How disgusting!" Naofumi spoke loudly, gathering attention to himself. "I never asked to be called to this fucking place. Send me back to my damn world already." He snarled. The guards tried knocking him down with their spears, but they couldn't make the shield hero budge from his place.

Aultocray had a mixed expression on his face. "I would love to simply send back a hero like you, but until the next wave happens, that is impossible. All the current heroes would have to die for us to summon new ones, or so my researchers told me!" The words made the three heroes look back at the king, their surprised expressions a delight for Naofumi.

"Well well, would you look at that. If you fuckers want me out, you'll have to bail out and die as well. If the king does it, his world won't be saved. It suits you just fine, fucking retards!" Naofumi spat out, his eyes shadowed and in sadistic glee at the three's stunned expressions.

"You fiend!" The captain of the guards looked ready to attack him, his hand gestures for the surrounding units a clear sign of their intent. The man brought his sword down, the guards following by using their polearms to beat unto him. Naofumi blocked the sword blow, his shield easily stopping the fancy blade. He didn't worry about the polearms; the idiots didn't have enough power to overcome his defenses. Although they shaved a tiny amount of his health, it wasn't enough for him to even worry about.

"Go ahead and try me you fuckers! Better not underestimate the Shield Hero!" He was about to change to the **[Iron Nail Shield]** when Aultocray spoke out.

"Release him at once." The royal guards backed off, giving Naofumi some space. "Should you serve your purpose and fight the waves, punishment will not be imposed upon you. However, all the people in this kingdom will know of your atrocious acts! Get lost now, less I order your immediate execution!" The king said, waving Naofumi off. Many whispers broke out as the nobles around the room started commenting on the situation.

_You set this up for me, fucker! I didn't do a damn thing, but you won't believe me, right?_

Naofumi merely picked his heavy backpack and made his way out of castle. Outside the gates, the knights tried bulling him and taking his backpack. A quick use of the **[Iron Nail Shield]'s counterattack **dissuaded them of further trying to mess with him.

He walked down the streets, eyes glued on his back and whispers ran wild among the common populace. He ground his teeth, holding back a curse.

_Rumors aren't this quick to spread when something just happened. It would take at least one day for everyone to know of this. They had already spread lies about me!_

He examined his body. His clothes were a bit messed and scuffed, but he was in full health._ At least this shield hasn't betrayed me, it's the only thing that has been faithful to me so far._ He continued walking, until someone called out to him.

"Shield brat!" He recognized the voice. Turning around to meet its source, the shield hero found Erhart, the blacksmith, looking at him with arms crossed. "Rumor around has it been that you tried to rape a companion. Let me hit you once!" Naofumi looked at him, eyes dark and unwavering. _Not you too, old man…_

The smith grabbed ahold of the hero and cocked his arm back, ready to deliver a smashing blow. Naofumi merely looked deep into the man's eyes, daring the man to strike him. _Yeah, go ahead and believe that scum. This world sucks…_

The blow never came, and Naofumi was put down. His brow rose as he continued his stare down at the man. "Won't take your piece of the pie? Everyone is doing it." He shot at the man, waiting for a reaction. The smith merely sighed, eyes closed and hands crossing over his chest.

"I suddenly don't feel like doing it anymore." The shield hero took that as a cue and turned around, shifting the weight of his backpack and walking to outside the city. "Hey, what do you plan on doing?"

"The shield is weak, right? Then I don't have anytime to waste. I need to survive on my own, no one will help me so I must help myself." He continued his trek, but after a couple of steps, a leather bag smacked against him and fell on the ground, spilling some clothes and a cheap set of leather armor. "What is this, you doing charity now?"

"Take it however you see fit. They were clearance, not worth more than five copper coins." Naofumi took the extra bag. He dressed in the leather armor set and settled the green cape around his shoulders. As he finished dressing, the hero walked back to the smith.

"Here." The shield shifted and changed into the **[Currency-Holder Shield].** Naofumi took the five copper coins and gave them to Erhart. "Now I don't owe you anything." He turned and left, managing to hear a distant "Return alive, kid!" from the smith.

* * *

"Aaaahhhh!" Naofumi smashed the last enemies around him, an egg-like monster and a blue mushroom. His level only rose to 3, even with him spending the entire evening hunting every single monster that came into his sight. He took a rest under the shade of a tree.

"This is too inefficient! At this rate, those three idiots will laugh and party if I die." His defense proved uncontested so far, but what if there was a monster with more attack power? He needed to level up faster and gather even more shields. He looked around his bag, wondering if there was anything to eat.

All he managed to find were some leaves inside a leather pouch. He grumbled, looking at the leaves and wondering if they were edible. He almost ate them, but the shine of his shield's gem ended up attracting his attention. He fed the leaf to the gem, a notification popping up to display a new shield.

**\- [Leaf Shield unlocked] -**

**[Leaf Shield] **

**+Bonus passive skill: Harvest skill(small)**

"Clearance items my ass, old man." He said, looking at his shield skill tree. He immediately equipped the shield, its format just a big leaf, and looked around for a few moments. He found exactly what he had been looking for. The same leaves, a plant that was growing just under the shade of the tree.

He picked it up, careful to not break the plant more than necessary. As he held the plant in his hand, it shone lightly, becoming a tad more vivid. _This place's logic is all over the place._ He stuffed the medicinal herb inside the leather pouch and continued foraging. He collected a good amount of the herbs, but left enough of them around as to not mess up the ecology.

He also collected the many materials that were scattered around him, his "monster slaying rampage" from earlier left a great deal of monster corpses.

"Of course, they don't just disappear after you kill them. This is not a game, Naofumi. This is real, as real as it gets!" He said to himself.

**[Blue mushroom Shield unlocked] [Eggy Shield unlocked] [Red mushroom shield unlocked] [Green mushroom unlocked] …**

The notifications stacked up and Naofumi used a hunting knife to separate the monsters unto smaller bits and fed them to his shield. He could use tools just fine, but the moment his mind even thought about using it to attack, the shock ran over him and the notification about the holy agreement popped up.

He acquired a good haul from today. Various bits of balloon leather, many pieces of the monster mushrooms, the dried remains of the egg monster and their shells, and three full pouches of medicinal herbs. The sun was at its highest point when Naofumi returned to the town. Finding someone to buy all the loot wasn't hard, however…

"These are quite good herbs. Where have you find them?" The merchant asked him, examining the leaves he brought.

"Just outside town, fresh for the picking." He answered plainly. "So, how much will it go for?"

The merchant smirked, and Naofumi's face soured. "So, there is this rumor about the shield hero—" He couldn't finish his smug sentence as he was grabbed and brought over the counter.

"Yeah, about that. I sure like to talk about weapons. Did you know that while I have pathetic attacking power, I still have quite some physical strength? I wonder, if by any chance I decided to pummel you out, should I do it by punching you or bashing your face in with this shield of mine? What do you think would do the most damage?" The hero enforced his point by hoisting the man in the air with one arm. "Or maybe you would like to buy fresher produce? I got you, I got you." From under the green cloak of the hero, the merchant saw the fierce balloons chomping on him, yet doing no damage. The hero detached one of the balloons and approached the orange menace, letting it bite on the merchant's nose.

"GYAHHHHHH!" The plump man let out a disgraceful noise, his nose turning a shade of red at the bite power of the monster.

"How about it? Fresh enough for you?" The shielded hero pulled the monster away from the man's face, attaching it back on its place. He threw the merchant back inside his shop, the man falling with a dull _thud. _"I don't want special treatment or to close your business. I only want what is fair for my work. Do we have a deal?" The merchant rubbed his nose and nodded, putting two pieces of silver over the counter.

"Damn shield." The merchant murmured as he collected his merchandise.

"If you are up for it, tell everyone of your merchant friends what happened here. Anyone else try this bullshit on me, they are up for a nasty surprise." His piece stated, Naofumi grabbed the money and left.

_This fucking place is full of guys like that. I can't spend money like it is water, I have to earn enough to finance myself. Since my shield can help me gather better loot, this will have to do for now._

Sure, Naofumi had more money safely stowed away, but he needed more. Good equipment cost a lot, and acquiring more materials for his shield would surely cost big time.

He entered a simple inn and ordered himself the cheapest meal available. The waiter didn't like him, his displeasure clear on his face, but he would not turn down money. As the shield hero ate away, his mood worsened.

_Food tastes like jackshit. This world is the worst…_

As he forced the food down his mouth and wondered about his next step, two men approached his table.

"Oyah, hic, it looks like our glamorous Shield Hero has no companions to share a meal with." The thin and burglar like one approached and leaned on the table, breath stinking of cheap alcohol. _Not this bullshit again…_

"That's right, Aniki (Sort of respectful way/title of calling someone who is or who you consider your brother). Maybe we should become his friends, what do you think?" The fat and short one blared on Naofumi's ear.

"That's right! Hahaha, we are such good people, aren't we?" They laughed together, disturbing the other patrons of the inn. The waiter looked like he wanted them gone, but the weapons on their waists dissuaded him better than any statement.

"Go away, I don't need trash burglars who can't do anything." Naofumi's statement made the two go red, angry at the shield hero. The duo pulled out their daggers, ready and more than willing to stab the hero and leave him bleeding out there.

Naofumi quietly stood up and grabbed his cup full of water. The thugs smirked, wondering if the hero would plead for his life. Oh, how wrong they were.

The cup flied and hit the fat burglar in the face, the water splashing around the table and ground. The thin one had little reaction as Naofumi bashed his shield on his guts before harshly kicking the man unconscious. The fat one had a bleeding nose, and was trying to scuttle away like a cockroach. Naofumi grabbed his ankle with a vice-like grip.

"Now where do you think you're going? Don't you know that it is polite to ask forgiveness to the patrons if you disturb them?" The hero made the fat burglar face the waiter. "Now, say the magic words."

"P-pleaseh forghive me." His smashed nose made his words sound odd.

"Good, now grab your friend and fuck off." He released the round thug, the man hurrying away after grabbing his partner.

A few moments after the duo left the inn, Naofumi settled back in his place, ignoring the other customers, and finishing his meal. He picked his now empty cup back and set it on the table. He also put a small bag filled with coin over the table. _Guess they won't be needing this anytime soon._

* * *

After his less than pleasant meal, the shield hero found himself walking down a dirty alley.

"Work efficiency wasn't quite what I expected. I need a better way to increase my level, or I'm not going to last." His boots made dull sounds as leather connected to stone pavement. "You can come out now, following me around won't help you with anything." It seemed the hero had spoken to air, but from around one corner a creepy laughter resounded.

"Kukukuku, mighty perceptive of you, young man. You are looking extremely distressed, how about I help you?" the short man that came out from the corner was wearing a gaudy black suit with multi-colored feathers around the collar. He also had thick glasses, a walking cane and a top hat, making the perfect combination of _"Stranger danger"._

"One more offering to help me, guess it is my lucky day then." Naofumi eyed the man, waiting for him to say his piece. "Are you going to offer to be my comrade? I met earlier with this lovely duo of thugs, could not be happier this moment."

"Kukukuku, "comrades" you say…that is such a stupid word." The man did a presentational bow. "What I offer is much more interesting than that fickle thing called comradery. Something that would never betray you and follow your every order, my lord." The Shield Hero's brow rose at the speech. _You certainly know how to sell your fish…_

"Lord Shield Hero, am I right? A man with no people by his side, followed only by demons." The strangely dressed individual looked into Naofumi's eyes. Black pupils swirling with intense emotion, eyes that wished the world burned in hellfire. "Your eyes, they are the best! I like people who have those very eyes."

They ended up joining and walking together the alleys, ending up in a circus-like tent.

As the man lifted one flap of the tent and allowed the hero entry, Naofumi spoke.

"Got it, slave business huh?" the hero eyed the many beastlike people caged and with collars around their necks. Many made threatening noises as the duo approached them.

"My focus is on demi-humans, human slavery could be very troublesome, specially in a human-supremacy country such as Melromarc." They walked deeper into the slave shop, the smell becoming more nauseating as time passed. They approached one of the bigger cages, the slave owner lifting the curtains to reveal a Werewolf. The creature snarled and growled; fangs ready to render flesh into tiny strips.

"My personal recommendation, his status is wonderful, the best of the best." Naofumi focused on the werewolf, simple information being displayed above the creature's head.

**Slave Werewolf lv. 75**

_His level is way over mine. One bite and I would be done. Trying to bait me with the good stuff, aren't you?_

"As for the price range—"

"Don't bother telling it to me. You know I can't possibly buy something like this, but you showed it to me anyway." Naofumi had a smirk, eyes glued to the slave owner._ Two can play the business game, don't underestimate an economics student._

"Well, yes. I knew I would love you as a customer, you just have the very best eyes for this." The fancifully dressed, shady man also smirked, showing Naofumi to another section of the tent.

"What kind of product are suited for your needs then, my lord?" They barely walked in the section and the smell that assaulted Naofumi's nose was almost enough to make him gag. Disease and death. Rotten and disgusting. He made a conscious effort to breath through his nose and quickly get used to the smell. It surely would not be the last time he would visit this place.

"Something cheap, not broken already and that is capable of fighting." He looked at the ground and spoke in a more somber tone. "Something male would be nice."

"A battle-oriented slave? Skills will be weak, but we have some in stock, would that be alright? About that rumor though—"

_**~CRACK~**_

Naofumi had his **[Iron Stake Shield] **equipped, the arm holding the shield banging against one of the cages, the edge of the shield bending slightly the metal bars of the cage.

"I didn't fucking do it!"

"Certainly, you are different from what was mentioned…" The slave owner said with a serious face. "Here we are, these are the cheapest options I have that are available for you. They are a troublesome bunch, but with training they can become obedient."

The smell was even more intense here. Naofumi eyed the various slaves here, not one suiting his needs.

The rabbit-man had a broken foot and looked ready to kick the bucket. The lizardman in the next cage was rabid and seemed like it would not obey any command he issued. He would rather not spend money on a useless slave. The others looked too weak or just unsuited for battle. The mole-man had big and bulky hands suited for digging, not holding a sword or spear. The rat-man over the next cage was not even moving, and the hero was pretty sure that it was dead.

Coughing called his attention, and he turned to one separate cage. Easily flipping the covering flap, he spotted a thin girl. She looked just about 10 years old, round ears settled atop her head, a bushy tail on her behind and she looked dirty as all hell. She also was the healthiest of the bunch and seemed to be the one most likely to obey his orders.

The only problem was:

_She is a woman, just like that fucking bitch! _He drowned the thought.

"Raise your head." He commanded. She did so, allowing him a look her face. _She is just a child, how twisted is this fucking country, that this shit is legal here? _"What is your name?"

She seemed hesitant in telling him.

"Don't you have one?" His voice came harsher than expected, seeing as she flinched. "R-raph-talia." At least now he had a name to which call her.

"The raccoon species are not popular, especially when compared to something like the fox species who have allure and charm. They easily suffer from panic attacks and end up doing nothing, but standing around. This one probably doesn't even have long to live." Slave merchant talked and tried to show Naofumi other products, but the hero had already decided.

"That's fine." _She is really thin; her body is about to give out and she is a child. Yet, I don't have any other option. I need to raise my leveling efficiency, and there is no one willing to help me. This shitty world needs saving, so I won't be able to go home unless it is saved. _"I'll take her."

"Very well."

…

…

…

"Kyahhhhhhh!"

"It is done; now she is completely yours."

**Shield hero has acquired a slave.**

**Raphtalia has been set as a party member.**

"Can I have that ink?"

"Sure."

Requirements completed!

**[Slave Owner Shield unlocked]**

**[Slave Owner Shield]**

**-Passive skill: Slave growth correction(small) +5% to status**

**+Bonus skill: Slave body correction(small) +5% to status**

Naofumi took off another cloak from his bag and let it fall over the head of the scared girl.

"Cover up." He said to her as he went closer to the Slave Dealer. "How much do I owe you?"

"Kukuku, a low-quality slave and a low-ranked curse slave crest seal. How about thirty silver?" Slave dealer had his hands joined together, rubbing them in that sort of way only weasel-like money grabbers could.

The Hero changed his shield for the **[Currency-Holder Shield]** and payed the required amount, plus one more. Slave Dealer seemed surprised at the act.

"There is one extra coin here, my Lord. Have you perhaps—"

"Cut the crap, you know it is your commission. Think of it as my thanks." The tall Japanese man turned and grabbed Raphatalia by her hand, the girl merely following him, and left the tent.

"I might fall in love with you if you keep showing me such eyes, Lord Shield." Slave dealer showed his sinister smile as he eyed the duo leave his shop.

* * *

"Get her some good equipment, something able to last and worth around 100 silver." Naofumi spoke to Erhart. The smith had a surprised expression, seeing the slave crest tattooed on the girl's chest.

"You…"

The smith decided to not comment on it, merely helping the girl and showing her various short swords and daggers. After they had picked something appropriate for her, came her dressed state. Seeing as she as thin as they come, the current option for her wardrobe was a red battle dress made of reinforced and durable clothes, some leather padding added for a bit more protection. Erhart separated another set of better armor and packed together, along with another two iron short swords.

He let the girl inside a dresser and came back to the counter, eyes settled on Naofumi's frame. The hero was busy looking over his menu, head going miles per hour as he concocted a plan to earn more money and levels.

"So, anything you feel like telling me about the girl?" The smith asked.

"I'm giving her a better chance in life than anything she could hope for in this shitty country. First time I'm hearing it is a human-supremacy, but by the looks of the people on the street, one doesn't take long to find out." Naofumi stated, focusing on the smith's frame. The man wryly smiled. The duo chatted for a while, until the curtain of the dresser was parted and Raphtalia came out dressed properly.

"You done? Took your sweet time with it, huh?"

"I a-apologize, m-master…" She coughed.

"Whatever, I guess…" He stopped leaning on the counter and approached the girl, lifting his green cloak. "Take out your short and kill this thing." He commanded, detaching an orange balloon from his torso.

The girl immediately flinched and backed away, scared eyes already watering. "M-m-monster!"

"Yeah, no shit. Just take your sword and stab it." He held the balloon in his hands and gave her an easy target. The girl didn't move, knees trembling.

"I d-don't want to…_ouhhh_." The slave crest on her chest lit up lightly, the curse punishing her for disobeying his words.

"It will only hurt if you won't fight it." He hated saying these words, but they were necessary.

Raphtalia pulled her sword, the pain immediately fading away, and with a weak trust, plunged the tip of the blade into the balloon. The monster grabbed the blade, still alive and well.

"Stronger, put your back into it." It took a few more tries, but in the end, she did kill it faster than anything he could consistently put out. "See, not so hard after all." A notification popped up, telling him that them both had earned exp from her kill.

He turned his eyes back into Raphtalia, the girl flinching from his intense look.

"Listen up! From now on, we are going to fight monsters daily. I expect you to fight accordingly," The raccoon girl looked down right terrified, tears already pooling on the corners of her eyes. "as my sword. In return, I'll be sure to protect you from any danger that comes." Her expression changed into something he couldn't recognize, maybe it was hope.

"We have much to do, and no time to waste. Let's get going." Naofumi exited the shop, waving goodbye to Erhart. "What are you doing standing there? Hurry up!"

"Y-yes!"

* * *

"Now this is what I'm talking about!" His happy shout echoed in the forest.

Laid in front of him over a cloth was much more loot than what he had acquired earlier in the day. One entire day's work had been easily surpassed in a few hours in the company of Raphtalia.

Collecting loot and fighting the low-level demons was done in a cinch. He would distract and tank any incoming attacks and Raphtalia would counter while the enemies were staggered. Using this strategy, the duo had managed to advance over the fields and were inside the forest.

Naofumi looked over his many shields and chose the one most suited to his current needs. As he examined the many herbs, fruits and roots he acquired, he separated them in medicine, foodstuff and miscellaneous.

Raphtalia was over to the campfire, heating up after she having washing off the sweat and eggy monster matter that stuck on her. She looked at him, wondering if at any moment he was going to explode and hurt her, just like all her previous masters. She tried to stifle a coughing fit, and wondered if she would have to sleep on an empty stomach. Her eyes turned to the fishes cooking over the fire. Her mouth watered.

Naofumi, on his part, grabbed the rocks he collected previously from the riverbank and started his work. He began grinding the aero medicinal herb he collected over the stone, making sure to not let anything fall over. He grabbed a citrus-like yellow fruit from his loot pile and cut it in the middle, squeezing the juices over the green paste. After that, he grabbed some large leaves and crafted a cup, which he filled with water from his canteen.

Mixing the green paste and the water, stirring it for a few minutes and letting the cup rest propped close to the fire, Naofumi wondered if his test trial in compounding would be successful. He tried mixing what little he knew about medicine making from his world and the knowledge that came from the **[Blue Mushroom Shield],** the one that granted him the compounding skill. After a few minutes, he picked his leaf cup and examined his concoction.

**[Improved common medicine]**

**Works better than the ordinary medicine due to combination of ingredients that increase each other's efficacy and proper methods. Capable of healing slight and normal colds. Has a tangy, enjoyable taste.**

"Since this world has magic, people don't focus as intensely on bettering their livelihoods as we did. I can make a killing with this. If I get the proper tools, and remember things right, I can craft better stuff than what is currently available on the market. Considering the bonuses from the shield too, any goods that I make will be top-notch." Naofumi looked at his shield, its silly mushroom appearance betrayed the usefulness of this Legendary equipment. Now if only he could have higher damage dealing abilities.

"The money I can make by selling manufactured goods is way higher than selling just the raw materials. If the waves are as bad as they said, people are bound to be stocking in medicine and medical supplies. This can work, no doubt about it!"

_~Cough cough~_

He glanced back at Raphtalia. It was thanks to this girl that he gathered so much. Hell, even their short battles had raised their levels. He was sitting at level 5, while the girl was level 3. He really was thankful that he had acquired this girl's help. He looked at the medicine and back at the girl. _Capable of healing common colds, huh?_

The hero coughed loud, calling the attention of his slave.

"Raphtalia, drink this." He went to her and gave her the leaf cup. "Go ahead and finish those two." He pointed to two out of the four fishes currently cooking over the fire.

Raphtalia stared at him, wondering if he was serious about the food. His only answer was his turned back, focus back into his compounding. She looked at the greenish liquid inside the leaf cup for a few seconds before she obeyed the command. Her ears perked up. She was expecting that whatever this drink was, it would be bitter and weird. It had an acidic and tangy taste, far better than any medicine. It was so good she ended up chocking, having to spit the drink to free her throat.

"Ahh, that's such a waste!" Her master exclaimed, coming her way with another leaf cup filled with another batch of the concoction. She was scared he would strike her, so she rose her hands to protect her head. The hit never came, instead he almost shoved the following drink down her mouth. "Make sure to drink this one, that's an order!" She promptly grabbed the cup, hoping to not waste the tasty treat.

"Bleeaaaggghhhh…" It was bitter!

"Don't waste good medicine, damn it!" He grabbed the cup and sat by her side. Naofumi would make sure she drank the damn medicine, especially since he only used the medicinal herb and water this time.

"But it is bitter, and it hurts…" She complained, trying to dodge the cup of medicine.

"It only hurts because you're not drinking it!"

It would take another two tries, a bit of force and twenty minutes before the hero finally managed to make the raccoon girl take her remedy. She laid asleep close to the fire, wrapped up in a blanket.

He turned back to his work, trying different techniques and mixes to create better medicines. Boiling the leaves first, grinding them, straining the concoction through a clean cloth. Using the remains of the leaves and mixing them with the pulp of the citrus-like fruit to make a pill.

Naofumi ended up using the entirety of the loot he had acquired along the day, but it was worth it. In front of him was an assortment of medicines. Although some were not as high quality as the others, he was proud of his work, especially considering the fact that it was his first time trying something like this:

**[Common Cold medicine]** \- A full canteen (two liters)

**[Improved Citrus-flavored cold medicine]** – a quarter of a canteen (300mL)

**[Cold preventing pill (common)]** x 10 units

**[Nutritional pill (common)]** x 6 units

_Not bad for a complete amateur, huh? I guess I owe this much to you._ Naofumi looked at his shield with warm eyes. He was just about to add more wood to the fire when.

"WAAAAARRRGGHHHHHHHHHHH"

_What the fuu—_

Raphtalia was kicking and screaming, tears freely rolling down her face. Naofumi rushed to her side, hoping to be able to calm her down. _What kind of nightmare is she having?_ The hero grabbed ahold of the girl and brought her into a hug, hoping it would pacify her.

"It's okay, everything is going to be fine!" He reassuringly said as he patted her head. She stopped screaming, but continued sobbing and calling for her parents. _Her past as a slave must have been that bad. I'm sorry, Raphtalia, but I need a slave!_

Naofumi cursed himself for having to say these words.

* * *

"Come again!" The merchant loudly announced to him. Naofumi walked down the alley, wallet 200 silver coins bigger. They had returned to the city to sell his products, the merchant from back then more than happy to get a different and more potent potion than the ones accessible in the marked. Naofumi immediately stuffed the money into **[Void Bank Storage]** and beckoned Raphtalia to follow him. She didn't move, eyes glued into a couple of kids playing with a ball.

"You like that ball?" She jumped, startled, but vehemently shook her head sideways.

"No! Definitively not! I don't want that ball, at all!" Her insistent negative head-shaking aside, her tail was swishing like wild.

_You really want it, huh._

A rather loud noise came from the girl's belly. She blushed like mad.

"Hungry?" More negative headshaking. _Why are you so insistent on denying it?_

"Let's grab some food before we head out."

The duo walked until they reached the usual pub which Naofumi was used to eat while in the city. Raphtalia stopped at the door, making Naofumi return to get her.

"What's wrong?"

"Master, it says that demi-humans aren't allowed here." She pointed to a wooden sign, the words not making a lick of sense for him.

"You can read?"

"Just the bare minimum." She confirmed. He shrugged at the sign and made a head nod, commanding her to enter the inn. She followed in his footsteps, too scared to argue.

The waiter was just finishing with a patron before he spotted Naofumi and his companion. The man clicked his tongue and had a half-mind to expel the Shield Hero from his establishment. Naofumi's annoyed eyes dissuaded the man from any action that wasn't:

"Good morning, what is your order?"

Naofumi looked at Raphtalia, wondering what to feed her. She was looking at a family having a meal.

"One of your cheapest meals and whatever that kid over there is having." Raphtalia's head whipped into his direction, eyes questioning his choice. He sat on the chair and told the girl to do so too.

"Why…"

"What is it now?" He asked, glancing around to see if any unsavory figures would want to mess with him today.

"My previous master…and the one from before…all of them hated whenever I had fun or was happy…Why do you-u…" Her voice was coming short, considering she was holding back sobs. He sighed.

"Sit already and listen! I need you as my sword. You will not be a useful sword if you have no blade. Starving you out and beating you would make the purpose of acquiring you meaningless. If you're so worried about being scolded, eat the food and become a stronger sword." His offhand way made she stare at him. "Our food is about to come; do you want to be ordered to eat?"

The waiter settled their meals down and left. Naofumi promptly started eating, a scowl present in his face as he chewed the food.

Raphtalia looked at the meal in amazement, eyes sparkling and shining. Maybe she was wondering if the food would disappear if she did so much as blink.

"Is i-it really fine if I have this?" She asked again, pointing to the meal.

"Just eat the damn food!" The raccoon girl grabbed a handful of rice and shoved in her mouth, dirtying her face entirely. _No table manners, but that's to be expected if you live as a slave for so long._ Her ears perked up. _Not that it really matters, though…_

"How is it?" He glanced at her from the corner of his left eye, asking with a tone of disinterest in his voice.

"It's delicious!" Raphtalia almost squealed in happiness at the many flavors filling her mouth.

He stabbed into the thin meat in his place with his fork and brought it over his mouth. _Tastes just like wet cardboard._


	3. Preparing to face the Waves

**Hello everyone, Ryuujin here for you all. Thanks for reading this little project I'm doing while working on my other stories. Let me adress some of the reviews we have for our story:**

**Guest- Thanks for your comment, kind sir? Lady? Person? Yeah, we'll go with person. Thanks for your support. Well, considering your idea, I can't really say for sure that simply shoving in different swords and spears would increase Naofumi's power. I get the idea, but for the seen mechanics of both the anime, manga and LN, I haven't seen anything like that so, I must say no to that ideal. Shield bro could gain new shields based on said swords, but his power is mostly focused in defense and support. The curse series and the like, are in their own twisted way, types of support. What better way to support your allies than to murder all the enemies? There is no CC better than death!**

**Zennishi- Yes, don't worry your pretty little mind, I'll change the story in ways I see fit such as to make the whole world seem affected by the Waves. Worry not, Naofumi will be smart, or smarter. Just keep following and point out any area you think the story is lacking, I'll try to remedy it.**

**Shinku- You're in for some amazing surprises. Naofumi will unlock some of the best shields possible. I'll try to do justice upon the whole "Rising of the SHIELD hero" and make him uncover some amazing shields, just stick by and follow the story.**

**For now, dear readers, that will be all. Thanks for being patient and enjoy your read! Ryujiin Maou(Dragon/Draconic Demon Lord) Out!**

* * *

Naofumi was working on his compounding with the sound of crackling firewood as his background music. The day had been an exhausting ordeal for sure.

He had taken Raphtalia and entered even deeper in the woods, since the low-level balloons and mushrooms weren't worthwhile exp anymore. It wasn't long after they entered the woods that they faced their first proper monster, a pill rabbit. The critter jumped at Raphtalia, considering she was closest to it, and tried to bite her. He quickly grabbed the being and held it in place for the raccoon girl to finish it off.

It wasn't a pleasant experience, seeing as the girl was afraid of spilling blood. Yet, it was something necessary for the both of them.

* * *

"_If you can't kill it, I can't continue taking care of you." He said darkly. It was harsh, but it was a truth nonetheless. "Soon, a wave of catastrophe is going to hit this world, and as the Shield Hero, it is my job to fight against it. But as you can see, I can't really fight by myself, so I need others to do it for me."_

_She was trembling, scared and afraid of going back to the slave dealer. It surely was cruel having to force her to make a choice, yet this was not the time for such thinking. He could repay her all the kindness of the world later, now he needed her to act._

"_Y-you are the Shield Hero?" He registered the question to ponder at a later time. She continued staring at him, eyes wide in a mix of fear and surprise. "You are going to f-fight against calamity…?"_

"_Something like that." _

"_I understand…" She rushed to meet him head on, short sword poised to stab. It hit the pill rabbit dead on, making blood spill and gush, some of the splash hitting her. She looked at him with a mix of fear and surprise, but now there was something in there he couldn't recognize. Admiration, hope, longing? He didn't know and would not pretend to. "Please, I will be useful to my lord, so please, don't throw me away."_

"_Do your job and I'll keep you by my side." Saying it left a bitter taste in his mouth. He tried to relief the guilt in his mind with the knowledge that what he was offering her was a thousand times better than what she would have if he returned her to the Slave Dealer._

After the event, they continued their trek, Raphtalia bravely fighting anything that came their way. When they stopped and set up camp, she offered her help in anything she could, although she couldn't do much. He reassured her that so long as she maintained that attitude, she could expect rewards from him.

He displayed to her how to deal with game after killing it. Who would know that watching seemingly silly survival shows and paying attention to biology classes in high school would come handy at such time?

"First you slice the neck and put it upside down to let the blood flow out until it stops. After that, you tie one leg to a tree and skin it." He explained his motions to the girl, wondering if he was messing something up. So far, it seemed good enough.

"Why do you let the blood flow out, my lord?" She asked.

"Blood spoils game really quick, so we do it to assure we can keep the meat for longer and make it have better taste." He answered, somehow finishing to skin the rabbit. The fur was mostly intact, although there were a few misshapen bits. He asked her to get a fire running, which she accomplished with a little bit of help. He also told her to get green leaves and mostly green wood.

He made a basic stand with some twigs and rope and leaned the skinned fur, letting it catch smoke. As with the furless rabbit, he brought it over the river and called the girl to see the next process.

"Start from the bottom and make sure to not cut too deep into the meat, or you could end up piercing the intestines and getting manure all over the meat. That would be a waste." He showed her once more the process, taking as much time as he could, seeing as he was no professional. After removing the internal organs and burying them, he kept only what he could recognize as edible: Heart, lungs, liver and the meat.

His shield changed to **[Red Mushroom Shield]**, which granted a bonus cooking skill, he grilled everything over the fire and let Raphtalia have her fill. She complimented it, saying it was delicious. He doubted it very much, since he tried one drumstick and it tasted much like everything else he had eaten so far. Like fuck all.

He looked at the raccoon girl seriously stuffing her face with the food. As she went for her next piece of meat, she started having a small coughing fit. He searched his smaller bag for a flask filled with a greenish liquid, throwing the bottle to the girl, who caught it with a curious expression on her face.

"Drink it, it will help with your coughing." She promptly took the remedy, lightly cooing at the strangely enjoyable taste of the medicine. Wasn't this one of her lord's better products?

"See, not so hard after all." He gave her a head pat. The racoon girl lowered her head, enjoying the forgotten feeling. "Finish your dinner and go to bed. I'll wake you in a few hours, we will be sleeping in turns." She followed the command.

He took the chance to check on the smoking fur. Seeing one of the ends was rather badly cut, Naofumi took his knife from his belt and trimmed it, making the fur uniform. He fed the fur strip to his shield rather out of habit, and to his surprise his loyal companion never failed to reward him.

**[Pill Rabbit Leather Shield unlocked]**

**[Pill Rabbit leather Shield]**

**-Increase in defense +3**

**-Increase in agility +5**

The hero smirked. He sat down and returned to his compounding, stocking up on more medicine. This time he had bought proper containers for his potions, but also had brought more leather flasks and canteens. He could feel getting better with each new potion or pill he made, each error a step towards a new recipe or a new finding. This time he also remembered to feed his products to his shield, acquiring more shields.

**[Medicinal Shield unlocked] [Nutritional Shield unlocked] [Herbalist Shield unlocked]**

Naofumi reviewed the skills he attained, feeling glad for his choice. A skill to better the effectiveness of medicines, one to help in nutritional gains and a chemistry bonus that made him remember some once forgotten chemistry lessons. He patted the shield.

* * *

"Daddy?" Raphtalia jumped from bed, tears pooled on the corners of her eyes. A soft headchop stopped her advances to hug the closest person available. It wasn't her father, but the Shield Hero, her master.

"Try again." He said, eyes focused on the window of the room. He looked ready for another day, dressed in his simple leather armor. Not that he needed the thing. At this point, Raphtalia wondered anything was able to get past her lord's defenses. "Get up already, we have shit to do."

She didn't need another callout. She really was thankful her lord was letting her sleep on a warm bed together with him. They had reached Ryute Village three days after her first real kill and made the town their temporary base of operations. Her lord had impressive navigational skills, since he could find his way to the village without looking at any maps. When she asked about that, he had simply pointed to his shield, which had turned into a weirdly book-look-alike. He tried to explain, but his fancy words flew right past her head. He ended up simply telling her that he had the best map possible in his head so she believed him.

It was strange working with the embodiment of a god. For all demi-humans, the Shield was more than a Legendary Hero; he was a benevolent god that would arrive in times of need and protect them from evil, the ultimate guardian. A literal Shield, or so said her deceased parents. She was still having nightmares with their brutal death due to a Cerberus. She still saw Lifana-chan's tired and beaten body when she closed her eyes—

"Raphtalia!" She flinched, ears pointing towards the voice of her lord. "We have work to do." She bowed and apologized, rushing through her preparations for the day.

* * *

"Know of a good place where I can make a quick buck?" Naofumi asked the street merchant whom he just finished business with. The plump-ish man made a few faces as he thought.

"Well, there is a coal mine close by that must have some ore for you to mine; won't recommend though. Since the last wave, monsters took over the place and are living there." The merchant explained pointing in the direction of the mine, the outskirts of town.

"Really now? I thought the place was looking a bit down for a village so close to the capital. So that's what happened." Naofumi's statement made the man frown his brow a bit.

"Yeah. I heard word that the king summoned the holy heroes, but no one came to help up to now. We even resorted to the Adventurer's guild, but they also haven't sent anyone. The only good thing that comes from the waves is higher demand for healing potions." The merchant sighed.

Naofumi was about to head out when he saw Raphtalia staring at one of the leather balls that the merchant had in display. She was crouched down, tail swishing lightly.

"Did you win your staring contest yet?" He said, close to the girl. She reacted, blushing a bit in shame. He picked the ball and lightly threw it towards her. She didn't manage to catch it in time and the ball hit and bounced off her forehead, returning to his hands. She blushed harder, in shame of being caught. Naofumi pulled out some coins from the wallet hanging from his hip and gave it to the merchant. "Here, now you can stare at it all you want in your free time." He threw the ball again, this time she managed to catch it.

He turned back and almost completed his first step when her stomach loudly pronounced itself.

"Didn't we just have breakfast?

"I-I'm sorry!" She closed her eyes, waiting for a strike to hit her. All that happened was a hand patting her hair.

"If you need to eat, then let's go."

Her second meal was quick, the girl inhaling the food so as to not waste any more time.

They walked to the mine's entrance and spotted it empty of people. Nobody in sane mind would approach a monster's den, but that made it perfect for Naofumi since he could farm all the monsters inside. He examined the shack closer to the entrance, finding plenty of equipment ready to be used. He quickly absorbed anything that could be useful and "borrowed" some tools like a pickaxe, a map, a torch and sheet of tarp.

**[Pickaxe shield unlocked]**

**[Pickaxe Shield]**

**-Increase in defense +6**

**+Passive skill: Mining proficiency (Medium)**

**Bonus skill: Mining**

**[Lantern Shield unlocked]**

**[Lantern Shield]**

**-Increase in defense +1**

**+Passive skill: Light magic resistance (small)**

**+Bonus skill: Focus Light**

Naofumi took some glances at the map he found, already having an idea of the places where he would probably find ore. He grabbed another torch and made his way inside the mine, Raphtalia just behind him carrying another pickaxe.

The light of the torch was dim, but enough for him to take peeks at the map of the mine. The duo walked for a bit, following the mining cart tracks. So far, no monster attacked them, but Naofumi was ready to respond to anything.

They had walked for ten minutes when Raphtalia called his attention.

"My lord, look at the prints in the ground…" He followed her eyes and found dog pawprints.

"Judging by these, it looks like our canine friend isn't that big." The hero couldn't help but notice Raphtalia's shaking when he mentioned dog. _Is it a biological thing or… "_Raphtalia." He got her attention. "Don't worry, I'm here to protect you. All you have to do is fight like we have been doing so far. If things go south, we'll book it."

"Y-yes sir!" He wasn't convinced she got the memo, but they couldn't keep backing out of fights. They needed the exp, and they needed it bad. He continued his trek, and after more ten minutes, they entered an open area with a running water current from above. There were also many crystal formations incrusted in stone, just ready to be mined.

He handed Raphtalia the torch and got the pickaxe. He tried a few swings to get a feel of the weight of the tool, and then brought it down where he thought would be best. Stone was broken and revealed more bits of the crystal he was hoping to get. The raccoon girl was to light for him so he could see where he was going to hit, and keep a lookout.

He swung his pick a few times, but with some elbow grease, he got three reasonably sized chunks of metal. He approached the best of his findings to his shield; the ore cluster being absorbed rather easily by his gem.

**[Light Metal Shield unlocked] [Stone Shield unlocked] [Mineralogist Shield unlocked]**

"Not bad at all." He commented, looking over the ores he had obtained. He was hoping to mine for a while and accumulate more ore, yet the flickering light of the torch dissuaded the hero of his work. He looked back at the raccoon girl, wondering what was causing her to tremble so much.

His head followed where she was looking. He found the object of her silent horror. A black two-headed dog was looking directly at them, eyes full of primal hunger. The creature was bigger than what the tracks indicated, which made Naofumi click his tongue.

"So that's why there were no other monsters around, you ate them all huh?" He stared at the dog. The demon started to growl, poising to jump at them. "Raphtalia, we'll work with our usual formation." He changed his shield, **[Iron Nail Shield] **ready to counter anything the demon could throw at them. He waited for the raccoon girl to move, yet she stayed in her place, trembling like a leaf exposed to the wind.

"Raphtalia?"

She was whispering words to herself, eyes fixed at the demonic dog. The hound ran and pounced at her, causing the girl to release a loud scream. Naofumi once more clicked his tongue.

"**Air Strike Shield!" **A magic green shield manifested in front of the girl, protecting her from the attack, catching the demon dog in the air. Naofumi rushed towards the creature, making his magic shield disappear. As he got closer, the dog tried attacking him; attack which he prevented by parrying the offending head aside, **Counterattack** immediately activating. The demon yelped; a great deal of tiny stab wounds afflicted over its head.

The dog barked, spit flying from both its two mouths, and made to attack Naofumi once more. He stood his ground and let the demon rush him. The creature bashed heads first into the immovable fortress called Naofumi, one head busing the shield while the other circled around the weapon and biting Naofumi on the shoulder.

"Arhh!" He shouted, really surprised. He had almost forgotten what physical pain felt like, since the majority of other beings' attacks weren't capable of piercing his defense. Apparently, this dog could. The hero grits his teeth. "Raphtalia! There is your chance, attack it!" He could feel the piercing teeth of the dog bite at his skin, blood weakly flowing from the wound. He waited for the girl to take action, but nothing came to his aid.

He turned his head, seeing her, still trembling. She was clutching at her chest, pain evident in her face. She had her short sword drawn, but wouldn't move. Tears fell from her eyes, staining her face. Naofumi released a pained breath.

"Fine then, get the fuck out! I'll deal with this on my own." He shouted. Grabbing the head attached to his shoulder, he wished for **counterattack **to activate. The demon wailed as it was pierced by Naofumi's shield, however, it couldn't free itself from the clutches of the hero.

"How do you like this, mutt?!" He growled, angry eyes staring at the demon's. The dog wailed again. Naofumi changed to his **[Iron Stake Shield], **the counterattack effect increasing since the nails had thickened into stakes.

"**Blunt Spike!**" Above the demon a green, magical spike descended right into it. The hit made the dog slack its hold on Naofumi's shoulder, which the hero took advantage off by punching the demon in the throat. "**Blunt Spike!" **Another magic construct, this time from under the demon, hit full force and raised the creature in the air. Naofumi panted, his SP bar almost depleted. He eyed the demon struggling to get up, parts of its ribs caved in.

"Raphtalia!" The girl had wide, teary eyes. "Trust in me a little bit, would you? The day I can't protect you is the day I die." She crumbled in the spot, crying loudly. He would comfort her, but there was a rather strong demon close by and he hoped to kill it before it killed them. He examined his bit shoulder, finding that his wound wasn't anything threatening. Surprising for sure, but not threatening.

"I-I'm sorry my lord…_Sob sob_…I know my job is to fight, but I just froze and…" He sighed, keeping one eye in the still struggling demon.

"I will listen to you in a cinch, but first, why don't you try taking on it?" He pointed to the demon. Naofumi was finally understanding the wonky nature of this world. Magic dominated a lot of aspects here, however, physics still was something you could use. Since the world dictated that he would have low attack, Naofumi had to get creative. _Imagination is the strongest weapon after all, huh?_

Force is still force. Magic could have mass and be pushed, which means it could be accelerated, F= M.A. That meant that pressure was still a thing here. So what if he couldn't attack in the literal sense of the word? Use enough force and even he, the Shield Hero, could deal some serious damage.

"B-but my l-lord…"

"It's okay Raphtalia, you can do it. I'll be right here, to protect you. However, you still have to fight your own battles. Will you always allow yourself to be pushed around and dealt a bad hand by the world, or will you fight?" The raccoon girl nodded to his words. She firmed her grasp on her blade and readied herself to fight against the demonic dog. Her hand trembled a bit, seeing the creature eye her with malice. Yet when she remembered who was behind her…

_**~Stab~**_

**Naofumi's level increased! (10 - 12)**

**Raphtalia's level increased! (10 -13)**

**[Naofumi Iwatani Shield Hero lv 12]**

**[Raphtalia lv13]**

"My lord, could I ask you something?" He removed his armor and examined the damage to the shoulder area, wondering if he could repair it.

"Sure, go ahead."

"What is your name?" He stopped examining his armor and looked at her._ She's right, I never told her my name. A few days in another world and I am like this, huh? _"Sure, short stuff. Name's Naofumi. Iwatani Naofumi, Shield Hero."

"Pleased to meet you, Naofumi-sama!" Raphtalia opened a smile. He was about to ask her to help skin the demon dog, when…

_**~Grrrooooowwwwllll~**_

"Again?" He was exasperated, how much could she eat?

"I'm sorry!"

* * *

**Three weeks later.**

**Castle town.**

"You turned out to be quite the beautiful young lady, didn't you?" Erhart was complimenting the tall woman with raccoon-like features. "What have the two of you been doing? Not just fighting, I hope!"

"That's about the gist of it." Naofumi commented, lowering his bulky backpack. He rolled his shoulders a bit, groaning when he heard a small _pop_. "Improving our skills, making potions, getting ready to have just about all of my money taken by you, you know, the usual stuff."

"Naofumi-sama!" Raphtalia tried to reprimand him, not that it worked. "I was taught table manners by the innkeeper in Ryute Village; I always wanted to eat fancily, just like Naofumi-sama!"

He scoffed, equipping the **[Currency-Holder Shield**] and wondering about how much should he spend. "She doesn't cough anymore, is quite good at fighting, eats plenty and improved her physique. Honestly, she seems just fine." Naofumi had his eyes fixed in the bigger treasure pile inside the chest of his shield.

"Naofumi-sama! You make it sound like I have gotten fat!" The raccoon girl whined.

"An-chan, you have got to admit, she's quite the looker." Erhart had a silly smile as he took in Raphtalia's growth.

"The hell you taking about?" Naofumi rose one of his eyebrows. "If anything, this country is full of Lolicons." The hero grumbled, eyes annoyed as he remembered the many men that catcalled Raphtalia. _Disgusting perverts, getting attracted to a ten-years old. And they have the gall to call me the sick one._

"Kiddo, ehh…you aren't serious, right?" The smith was stunned at Naofumi for some reason.

"Sir, don't worry about it." Raphtalia whispered in his ears. The smith nodded and agreed to it, leaving Naofumi confused.

"Well, let us leave that aside and focus on what you came here for. What can I do for my favorite customer?" The smith asked, leaning on his counter.

"Upgrade Raphtalia's equipment and get me some better gear. Was bitten by a demon hound a few weeks back, not a pleasurable experience." Naofumi stated, pointing to his shoulder. He eyed some of the armors around the place, many not suitable by being too light on protection or too heavy for maneuverability.

"Thank god, Naofumi-sama! It was about time you changed your outfit." The raccoon girl was looking over some swords and gave her two cents about the situation. "If it wasn't for your shield, you would not look any different from one of the common villagers."

"Someone has gotten quite cheeky over the few weeks, huh? Even though before she used to wet her bed and hold so tight, asking to sleep together. Kids these days sure are a conceited bunch." Naofumi spoke out, eyeing some plated armor. _Too bulky._

"NAOFUMI-SAMA!" Raphtalia's high pitched voice made both men wince inside the shop. "You promised me you'd not speak about that!"

"Did I?"

The girl was slowly drawing her selected sword from its' scabbard, eyes unblinkingly staring at her master. She then proceeded to give the sword a few swings, after which she placed the blade over the counter. "I like this one, feels _really_ sharp!

Erhart, eager to not piss off the girl even more, pulled out a piece of armor from under his counter. The rattling of the small, linked chain rings almost triggered something inside Naofumi.

"This is some balanced gear, easy to move in and really great protecting you from slashing attacks. How about it?" As the smith told details about the armor, Raphtalia nodded and agreed to the usefulness of the equipment.

"No." It was a simple statement.

"Naofumi-sama?" The raccoon girl never saw such a dark look on her master's face. It seemed as if the armor had offended her master by merely existing.

The shield hero was holding his fists tightly, the light mood from before totally gone. Erhart sighed, already up as to why the hero was behaving like this. He moved the chainmail out of the hero's sight, but before the armor left the wooden table, Naofumi's hand slammed over the counter, startling Raphtalia.

"I'll pay for a piece of the armor material, but there is no way in hell I'm wearing that thing!" His voice had such poison lacing it that for a moment, the illusion that his shield had changed into something dark settled over him, before it vanished like it was never there.

"Sorry, sorry, don't make such a scary face." The smith sighed once more, stuffing the armor away and showing the hero a small patch of chain-linked mail. "Here, have this one, on the house." The hero grabbed the material and all but shoved it to his gem.

"Listen, if you don't like anything in the shop, how about I get you something custom made? If you have any materials left over, I can even lower the price for you." Erhart said as he brought out a worn-out book. "There are many custom models that work with monster materials, so if anything catches your fancy, say the word."

"I'll leave that to you; all I want is something that protects me and doesn't make me a sitting duck." Naofumi searched his bag for the unsold materials he had. Making potions and pills wasn't the only thing that made money, killing monsters and selling materials from them also did that well. On their way to the city, the hero and the raccoon girl had dealt with anything that got in their way, meaning they had their bags mostly full of monster materials.

Naofumi picked out the best materials he had and put them atop the counter. Pill Rabbit fur, long strips of balloon leather, Demon hound skin, and even some leftover Light metal ore. The last made Erhart's eyes shine with light.

"Ohh! It has been sometime since I have seen Light Metal, especially one so pure like this one. Where did you get this beauty?" The smith picked the ore as if it was a baby, handling it carefully as to not damage it. "I can make you something amazing with this, An-chan! These furs and the demonic skin are also top notch! You could make top money if you sold this, you know?"

"Money doesn't do me any favors if I'm not alive to enjoy them. Make me something good. What about you Raphtalia, anything else you need? We need to be prepared, the Wave is coming soon, I guess." At his words, the smith stopped drooling over the metal and turned to look at the hero. "What, anything funny on my face?"

"Nobody told you? There is a big hourglass in the church, it tells the passing of the time between the waves." Naofumi let the information sink in. He remembered Trash-king telling something about a sacred hourglass, but never where he could find the device. "The latest rumor is that the heroes have been hanging around over there, so I though you already knew."

_Bastards! That trash-king must have told them where to find the damn thing while I'm left floundering about like a fish out of water._

Naofumi took a deep breath, trying to calm his temperament. Blowing off and dumping his problems over Erhart wouldn't help any of them. He was lucky he even got the information from the old man, otherwise who knows what would happen.

"How long does it take for you to finish my armor?" Naofumi managed to ask calmly.

"By nightfall I should be done with it."

"How much will it cost?" The smith looked at Naofumi before sighing.

"Let me work on it. If it turns out into something good, I can make your money acquaintance with my wallet; if not, I will get you something to compensate for your materials. Trust me kid, come back by nightfall. What about you jou-chan (shortened way of calling ojou-sama {a beautiful, princess like girl})?" The smith pointed to many of his crafted swords.

"My current armor is enough. I can't wear anything heavy like Naofumi-sama, since I'm focused on mobility. If I were to get anything else, maybe an extra sword or a dagger?" The girl said, eyeing her current equipment.

"Great, I'll separate some good stuff for both of you."

* * *

The duo left the weapons shop, walking at a calm pace. The light and joking mood from before was cut short, the Shield Hero apparently pissed off by something. Raphtalia tried to make small talk to lighten their walk.

"Erhart-san is such a nice person, right Naofumi-sama? The price of your armor really went down since we offered all the materials necessary and he even gave me a coating to keep my sword clean. _If it is for the shield kid, then it's fine_ he said." They kept on walking, her master keeping quiet. "He is helping you out my lord."

Their walk was only interrupted when a hungry growl sounded over. Raphtalia blushed and flailed around.

"I swear that it wasn't me Nao—" She was interrupted by her master.

"Yeah, I know. It was me." Naofumi had a dry tone. _I keep getting hungry even though I can't taste anything in my food. _"Let's get some food and wait for our gear. Might as well check the church while we are at it."

The duo made their way to their usual inn, ordered some food and waited for time to pass. Some people stared at the hero, eyes focused in his shield. He seemed to not care; hardly anything could get past her lord's defenses.

When their meals arrived, Naofumi quietly ate his food, a constant frown present on his face. _Not a lick of flavor. _He continued eating, not paying attention to the raccoon girl's embarrassed face.

"Naofumi-sama, I'm not a child anymore, why have you ordered me a kid's meal?" Her exasperation was something he wasn't understanding. Whatever the hell did she meant she wasn't a kid anymore?

"Yeah, yeah, stop complaining and enjoy the food. Just last week you were bugging me about wanting to eat it again." He responded with a nonchalant tone. The girl's ears perked up, a blush setting over her face.

"The me from a week ago is already in the past. Could you please not treat me as a child?" He rose one of his eyebrows at her, pointing to her plate with his fork.

"It's obvious you want to eat it, why are you complaining?" The girl lowered her head in defeat.

With that settled, they finished their meal and headed towards the church. It wasn't hard to find it, considering the splendor of the white marble from which the church was built upon. It almost made Naofumi break a piece of something and feed it to his shield merely to see if he would unlock anything new. He suppressed the desire. _They already don't like me, best not give them more reasons._

As they entered the church, some nuns in habit passed by. They looked over him and focused on his "weapon", before whispering to each other a few seconds. Soon, the oldest nun, a woman in her early 30's, approached him.

"Sir Shield?" He simply nodded to confirm her words. "To what does the Church of Three Heroes owe the present of a hero?" It was obvious his presence there wasn't welcomed, but she couldn't stop him from entering the temple.

"I heard about the Hourglass of the Dragon's Era and decided it was time to pay it a visit." He spoke in a rather calm tone. No use getting pissed off because of minor inconveniences.

The nun nodded and guided the duo towards the monument. As soon as they entered the room, Naofumi could feel something change in him; the mere presence of the giant hourglass ominously foretold of destruction. He approached the hourglass on his own, drawn to the aura of the object. The gem in his shield shone, synchronizing with the hourglass. A beam of light shot from the golden structure and hit his shield, a new display appearing at the corner of his vision.

**20:43:53…**

**20:43:52…**

**20:43:51…**

_Less than a full day. Guess we can stock up on potions and supplies, hope we don't get any serious injuries and ready our hearts for it. If we are lucky, maybe the wave will happen somewhere far from any village or town; if not…well, I will do whatever I can._

"Raphtalia, let's get going." Naofumi just turned when the gates leading to the room opened and a hated bastard emerged from them. Shiny, lustrous armor and totting a spear. Motoyasu and his party had arrived to sour his fickle mood. _Great, this bastard! I can already hear the bullshit he is going to spout out._

"What a disgusting getup! I hope you don't plan to fight the waves while using that!" The blonde exclaimed in his ever so boisterous tone. Naofumi grit his teeth and let his hair cover his eyesight. If he directly looked at the spear bastard, he was going to commit bloody murder.

He tried to walk away, but one ever so hateful voice spoke out, igniting the dark flames inside his gut. "Motoyasu-sama is talking to you! Answer his question already." The red headed bitch was running her mouth off, dressed in fancy armor. Thank god he had saved his money from being used by this cunt.

The Shield Hero took a deep breath, hoping that this group of bastards would just leave. Before the spear hero's group could harass Naofumi, Raphtalia stood in between the two.

"Might you be acquaintances of Naofumi-sama? I haven't heard of you." The group of women whispered among themselves, wondering who was the bumpkin that hadn't heard of the wonderful spear hero.

"Cute…" Motoyasu slipped from his group and kneeled in front of the raccoon girl, grabbing her hand with pomp. "Hello beautiful maiden, my name is Motoyasu, the Spear Hero. Would you grant me the pleasure of saving the world with you by my side?" Naofumi was actually surprised by the ridiculous behavior.

_As long as it is female, it's okay for him? You sure the rape accusation was blamed on the right guy? The way Motoyasu chases for any skirt, I'd imagine him fathering at least three kids before the waves are over._

"Sir Lance, I'm afraid I must decline. I am already with Naofumi-sama." Raphtalia stated, somewhat off put by the pushy behavior of the Japanese Blonde.

"Naofumi?" Motoyasu laughed as if told a funny joke. He crooked a sneer over his lips and almost shouted, so loud was his voice. "You are in definite danger, staying close to a rapi—" Before the Spear Hero could finish his sentence, Naofumi got close to his _fellow_ hero.

"What is it? I'm saying nothing but the truth!"_ As if your fabricated truth has any credibility, you bastard. _

"Go ahead and finish that sentence, Motoyasu! I dare you; I double dare you!" Naofumi increased his tone of voice, the dark feeling in his gut slowly simmering, getting stronger.

The two heroes stayed like that for a few seconds, tensions increasing inside the hourglass room. Motoyasu's party looked relaxed, not a drop of worry present in their faces. Raphtalia had her hand around the hilt of her sword, tail straight and the makings of a battle stance just ready.

"Raphtalia, we are leaving!" It wasn't a statement, but an order. The hero of the shield made his way out with heavy steps. The raccoon girl did a quick bow to the Spear's party, not leaving time for Motoyasu to say anything else before she followed behind her lord.

They exited the city in a brisk pace, Naofumi looking utterly furious. No city thug tried messing with them, the dark eyes of the hero enough to dissuade any thug wanting a quick chance at coin. The duo easily made their way into the fields, the low-level monsters already circling them. The creatures had such poor intelligence and low-levels that unless extremely obvious that they would die, the demons would charge and try to gnaw on whatever was close.

Not that Naofumi cared right now.

"Naofumi-sama, are we going somewhere?" Raphtalia was worried, wondering why her master had such a wrathful face. She almost pulled out her sword when a balloon appeared, but the hero extended his arm to stop her.

"Don't worry, I just want to vent out a bit." The hero snatched the balloon midair, grabbing the demon and punching it. Two hits and it popped, awarding its 1 EXP. More critters came, more targets for Naofumi to release his anger.

That went on for about thirty minutes, the trash mobs exterminated; even with his low attacking power, he could dispatch these critters. _Yet, it's not enough! _Naofumi took his time picking up anything useful. He huffed, most of his anger fuel depleted, and turned to Raphtalia.

"I'm going to pick some herbs and fruits, check the left while I check right. Twenty minutes tops, we've to go back to the city and pickup our gear." He instructed to the girl. She complied; her face confused as to these happenings.

As they split and did the simple, but boring task, Naofumi was left alone for some time. His managed to let off some steam, however, he still had dark thoughts running through his mind. Nonetheless, there was work to be done; he could brood and work, multi-tasking was a Japanese specialty after all.

_The only reason she is by my side is because she is my slave. Otherwise, she would probably be all over Motoyasu, like the bitches that follow him. Like that Bitch! I can't trust these people, they did this bullshit to me in the blink of an eye after all. This shitty world…why do I have to fight for its sake?_

* * *

The duo returned to the city in silence, making their way towards Erhart's blacksmith and weapons shop. The city was beginning to pack up, adventurers and soldiers were seen with more frequency and the merchants and stall owners were trying to sell the last of their wares.

They entered the shop and waited for the smith, the sound of metal being hammered was akin to a crude music. Naofumi dropped his bag and sat on the ground, opening his bag and pulling out his chemistry kit. He had bought a simple one in Ryute Village and hadn't had the time to get himself a better one, but it would do for now.

The hero started his usual work, Raphtalia watching him work with attentive eyes. He did most of the normal steps, but this time he couldn't heat anything up for obvious reasons. As such, he ended up with a great deal of salve. Not that he was complaining, since it would also work as a coagulating agent, something important in the aftermath of the battle. Exposed wounds caused more deaths in the battlefield than any sword, spear, arrow, axe or any weapon for that matter, and having a way to disinfect and cover up cuts and bruises was certainly something one would appreciate out in the field.

The work continued for a longer while. When the rhythmic sound of metal on metal stopped, Naofumi stood up and stretched. Erhart came from inside his smithy, wiping the sweat he had built up with a towel.

"An-chan, Jou-chan, you are back a bit earlier than what I was expecting." The tanned man leaned on his counter.

"You done with my gear?"

"Yeah, just need to let the metal cool off and settle it in place and we will be good to go. I also worked hard with the materials you left for me. This will be one of my best works for sure, An-chan!" The smith gave the hero one easy smile. The Shield hero let tension leave his shoulders and placed some of his salve over the counter. "What's this, using my shop to mix your herbs? Do I need to set a rent price for usage?"

"Ha ha, very funny." Naofumi sarcastically laughed, opening his larger bag and pulling out some potions and pills. "I wanted to give you these. Considering the wave in just around the corner, it's never a bad choice to stock up on medicine. Not wanting to brag, but the medicine I make is quite effective."

"Why exactly are you giving me these? I ain't gonna lower the price of your armor no more." Erhart had a bit of a cheeky smile, arms crossed over his chest.

"They are a gift. You did something for me in the beginning, I'm just doing something back." Naofumi simply said, settling the three potions and ten pills for the smith. "You helped me out more than you know. Take them."

"If An-chan is giving me such amazing gifts, then I'll take them. I am warning though, I won't give them back even if you beg." Erhart picked one of the bottles and opened it, sniffing the contents before closing it back. "I recognize the smell of the herbs, although there is something else in there I can't quite pick up."

"Yeah, the taste was terrible before and it was quite your run of the mill medicine. However, I tinkered a bit and managed to find herbs and fruits that match over some medicines quite well. The green one is for colds, the other red ones are capable of healing somewhat harsh wounds. The pills are nutritional supplements and energy boosters."

"If I didn't know any better, I would think you were trying to sell me these." The smith picked the orange-ish pills. "Nutri-what know kid? I get that they are supposed to gave me extra energy, but that other thing you said?"

"How can I explain…They help your body if your food isn't giving you everything you need to work all day. They can even serve as substitute for meals, if only for a short period of time. I made them focusing on them being a helper for poor-nutrition food, not as soldier pills." Naofumi finished his explanation, seeing the duo of Raphtalia and Erhart giving hi amazed looks.

"An-chan, that's the first time I hear about something like this. Sure, alchemists and doctors have their tonics and all, but can something so small and compact really do that?" Naofumi once more remembered the one advantage him and the other heroes had in this world besides their weapons. Knowledge.

His **[Nutritional Shield]** gave Naofumi something besides better nutritional gains. He could analyze anything that could be fed to a person, be it food or medicine, and based on that, he could decide what would be better for a person to eat, depending on their health. His shield gifted him a nutritional table.

_Science here is really behind, but considering magic is on the table, they can afford to not know as much. _A smile planted itself on Naofumi's lips._ A good plan, but that is only if we can survive the wave._

"Too much talking about me and not enough about my gear." Naofumi called the smith's attention. The tanned man sighed at the impatience of the youngster, but went inside his smithy.

"Yeah, not long now, An-chan!" Erhart peeked his head over the door's frame and exclaimed.

"Hey!" Before the smith could duck back in, however, Naofumi once more called him out. "Mind if I watch you work?"

"What about my trade secrets, An-chan? If you pick my blacksmithing and crafting due to that shield of yours as you took to medicine, you could run me out of my store." Erhart made a good point. Which Naofumi hoped to counter by letting 50 silver coins fall over the counter from his **[Currency-Holder Shield].**

"I can't come back to the city every time my armor has a tiny crack or a hole. I promise to keep buying your equipment, I even can share other information with you about my world. They have some methods and techniques that you would surely appreciate." Naofumi offered the deal.

"I don't know, kid! Everyone has their secrets, and although your deal sounds good, there is no guarantee that—"

"I'll cook your dinner for you!" Naofumi offered. Raphtalia, who was more focused on testing out light swings with her sword, perked her ears and her tail shot up, swishing madly sideways. The girl stormed the counter and grabbed the smith by his leather apron with deceptive strength for such slender arms.

"Take the deal, Sir! You won't regret it, never! I assure you, Naofumi-sama is superb when it comes to the kitchen!" Erhart was taken back by the ferocious attitude of the racoon girl.

"A'ight, a'ight, kid, you can watch me finish up. It is your armor, anyway!"

Raphtalia let him go and nodded, satisfied.

* * *

**[Barbarian Lord Armor]**

**-Increase in defense +35**

**+Physical Strengthening buff (Small)**

**+Increased Magic Resistance (Medium)**

**+Increased Curse Resistance (Small)**

**+Self-repair function (Small)**

Naofumi whistled, impressed by the status of the armor Erhart managed to finish up. Raphtalia was gushing with happiness, eyes bright and lit with admiration for the image of her lord.

"Naofumi-sama, it suits you very much. It is so dashing!" She had her hands joined together.

Erhart was proudly looking over his finished product. Naofumi was the only one with a somewhat sour face.

The shield hero was dressed in finely processed and reinforced dark leather pants settled in place by a hardy belt. His boots were brown and had small plates carefully sewn to avoid inhibiting movement. His upper legs were protected by layered Light Metal plates stacked in between pill rabbit fur. His chest was being protected by a layer of Light Metal, worked as to not hinder him, and to hold the metal in place an underpart of both reinforced leather and two headed demon hound skin. To complete the set, a moss green cape was set over his shoulders and covered his back, the collar lined with fur. "The stats are great, no doubt. Yet, I feel like I'm being confused as some thug!"

"I know, right! With your eyes, your expression just _screams_ burglar!" Naofumi released an annoyed sigh at the smith's words.

"Well, you made it for me, and as I said before, the stats are not bad. It would be a shame not to use it." Naofumi said, but his face soon turned devilish. "How much do I owe you?"

"Come on kid, you think I'm going to rip you off? You're buying here with me all the time, and you even gave me the materials to make it so we will settle for about 180 silver coins." It was cheap. About the same price he had paid for his first armor. "You go out there and do your best. I trust what my eyes see, and I know you aren't what people say you are."

Naofumi lowered his face for a few seconds. Raphtalia smiled as she saw the countenance of her master. Naofumi was smiling. For the first time ever since he had been dealt ploy, he hadn't smiled once, always neutral or frowning.

"Thank you!" His eyes held the same shine when he first visited the smith. The tanned man smiled back.

"Don't get all sappy on me kid, you still have to make me dinner!"

* * *

**Next day**

**17 Minutes Remaining until the Hero's first wave.**

Naofumi and Raphtalia checked out their equipment silently, the mood serious, but not uncomfortable. Many adventurers and knights were moving about, the people were boarding their homes and praying for salvation.

He finished checking the leather pouches around his waist, hidden by his green cape. Potions and pills were okay, so the hero did the last check over his armor. It was a new weight to get accustomed to, but nothing that would impair his fighting ability. He had fought before carrying more weight.

Raphtalia also finished her preparations, putting away the whetstone and oily cloth she was using to keep her new blade sharp. She had one sword strapped to her waist, together with two daggers and one slightly big knife. Her leather armor would be able to take light hits, but the raccoon girl's focus was on mobility.

"Naofumi-sama!" She called out to him, standing straight in his presence. "I just need to get this off my chest before we head out into battle." Naofumi rose one of his brows at her. _Pompous speech now, Raphtalia? If this was a game, that would mark this as a red flag. But no matter how game-like this world is, this is as real as it gets. Keep your head in the battle and fight hard._

"I'm just so grateful to have met you, Naofumi-sama. You gifted me new life, and for that I'll be forever grateful. I'm your sword, Naofumi-sama. No matter the place or the time, I'll fight for you and your cause!" Raphtalia finished by putting one hand over her chest. Naofumi nodded at her resolve.

"Don't die out there! I'll do my best to protect us both, but don't grow too reliant. Always be on the move and avoid getting surrounded." He gave out what he thought to be the best advice. Yeah, he was the Shield Hero, but his defense was only so strong. He had been pierced once, it is bound to happen sometime again.

"I realize that."

"Good. Take that to your heart and get ready. It will begin." He saw, eyes focused on the display counting down the seconds.

**27…26…25**

…**19…18…17**

…**7…6…5…**

…**2…1…0 **


	4. The Shield Hero fights

**Author's Notes.**

**This short note is just to remember that you guys are free to ask questions and make suggestions any time you want. I like to write, and if something in my writing isn't good, I try to improve it. Give it a good read and leave your thoughts. I won't beg for reviews, but if you could? Ok, ok, I will stop bothering you, read the chapter. Ryujin Maou out!**

* * *

Light surrounded both Naofumi and Raphtalia, blinding their vision for a few seconds. When the hero opened his eyes, the scenery to greet him was not that of Castle Town, but of a forest. Naofumi immediately changed his shield to the **[Cartographer's Shield] **and examined his map.

Raphtalia looked over the surroundings, ears perked up to catch any noise. Her eyes settled upon the mine at their left, the place familiar to her. They had lived in the town close by for a while after all.

"Naofumi-sama, the mine. We are close to Ryute Village." The girl pointed to the mine's entrance and them to the town. Naofumi himself merely nodded, confirming their position in his map.

"Teleportation, huh? Now, where is the wave?" The hero had started hearing some odd noise sound rather loudly in his ears. Raphtalia seemed fine, so he wondered if he was the only one hearing it. It was like glass being shattered. He managed to find the source of the noise. The raccoon girl followed his gaze, eyes widening at the phenomenon happening.

The sky was literally being torn apart by some force, an ominous aura emanating from the fracture. From the crack in reality, dropping like hell spawn, came demonic beasts of destruction; Zombies armed with rusty armor and swords, Interdimensional wasps and many plague related insects poured in and started rampaging about.

Naofumi took in the horror show with baited breath. The Shield Hero perceived movement from behind him and looked over, finding his fellow heroes and their teams rushing to meet the incoming monsters.

"Hey jackasses, there is a village nearby! We need to help with the evacuations before the monsters get to them." Naofumi shouted to the others. They continued their running frenzy, not paying attention to the Shield. Among the rushing bodies, someone shot a flare up high in the sky. Naofumi cursed out loud.

"That's it?" The hero cursed under his breath.

"Naofumi-sama, there is no way the villagers are done with evacuations. If the demons attack them—" The raccoon girl didn't need to finish her sentence. Naofumi huffed once more, cracking his fingers under his gloves.

"I know! Let's hurry!" He turned towards the village and started running, Raphtalia right behind him.

The duo reached Ryute Village just in time. Many demons were already present and causing destruction wherever they were. Many adventurers and local knights were fighting against the Wave's spawn, some villagers also were included into the mix.

_Aren't these things quite fast when it comes to causing chaos? Guess there's no time to be daydreaming about. Shield Hero, huh? Bunch o' bullshit!_

Naofumi rushed in, seeing one man being cornered by a zombie. The undead broke the man's pitchfork and was ready to kill, but before he could do it, a green magical shield manifested between both the man and the zombie.

"**Air Strike Shield!"** Naofumi was on one knee, allowing Raphtalia to use his shoulders as a jump pad. The girl flew the short distance and cleaved the zombie's head off with one slice of her sword. She went to help the villager on his feet, meanwhile Naofumi eyed the surroundings, considering his options on who to help first. He saw a mother running with her two kids, being pursued by a group of undead and insects. "Raphtalia, help get the civilians out of the way!"

"What about you?" The girl asked.

"I can tank alright. I need to cause a distraction and bait out the enemies; if they are focused in one place, it's easier to take care of them. Prioritize getting the villagers out of the way!" His orders issued, Naofumi ran to reach the woman and her kids.

The family was just cornered against of the buildings by the demons when he got close enough to act. Swords were swung, yet they met tough metal instead of soft flesh, a cage of shields linked by chains protecting the villagers. "**Prison Shield**!" The Japanese rushed and met the creatures head on. Parrying the sword swings was rather easy, his physical strength more than a match against the undead creatures. The wasps were more of an annoyance than anything. Their stings broke as they hit him, and he wasted no time in punishing them.

"**Blunt Spike!" **Another magical construct, this time it was a stake. The hero had his magical spike bash the insects down to earth, the creatures being splatted as they were crushed under the magical construct. Naofumi made the spike disappear and faced the zombies. He ducked under their wild swings and bashed his **[Iron Stake Shield]** into the creatures' faces, activating his **counterattack** and piercing the skulls of the undead.

The demons defeated; the hero knocked on his cage of shields. "You alright in there? The shields will be gone in just a second. When it happens, get the hell out of here!" Naofumi shouted to the villagers and heard a muffled _"Shield hero, is that you?"._

_I won't let anyone die here! Won't be able to relax if you people die under my watch!_

Naofumi ran and went to met another zombie head on. The undead struck at the hero, sword bouncing off the shield. The Shield did another bash, pushing the demon away. He was about to pursue the creature, but a shadow loomed over him, grunting.

The hero immediately rolled on the ground, dodging an enormous axe by a few centimeters. He looked upwards to see his aggressor, a bigger zombie wearing better armor than the smaller minions. _Too close for comfort. Thank goodness the big ones are rather slow! _The hero ran and slid under the big creature, quickly getting up and continuing his way to what he perceived to be an emptier area.

Running through the alleys with an ever-increasing number of undead, Naofumi wondered how long it would take Raphtalia to come. He was about to turn the corner, but his route was blocked by more monsters. _Already out of places to run?_ He glanced to the rooftops, mostly empty of creatures. _Heh, just my luck!_

"**Air Strike Shield!"** The green magical construct made for the perfect platform for Naofumi to jump upon and escape his incoming doom. Some of the Wasp demons followed him, but were quickly taken care off.

He took a look at the village, seeing the great brawl that was the middle of the village. Adventurers and knights were barely hanging on, facing the hordes of monsters with all their strength. Naofumi took in the scene and tried to get a plan running. His planning time was cut short by one of the bigger zombies bringing his axe over him. Naofumi just barely managed to parry it, making the glancing blow push him off the roof. _Fuuuckkk, that was heavy!_ The hero rolled in the ground, quickly getting up.

The General zombie lifted his axe once more and lowered it upon Naofumi with brutal strength. The hero took the blow head-on, grunting at the effort. "**Blunt Spike!"** The magical construct hit the zombie in the gut, crushing the crumbling armor and making the creature keel over. Naofumi was about to try a counterattack, but the monster lost its head.

"Naofumi-sama!" Raphtalia had been the one to decapitate the monster. She rushed to his side, sword poised to defend her lord. "I helped everyone I could find, but the demons just keep coming. At this rate, even if we save the villagers, they won't have a place to live!" Her sword danced with speed, cutting down a group of attacking wasps.

"I understand!" Naofumi responded. He gave a once over the fighting zone._ I wanted to save some SP, but I guess that's out of the question. _The hero changed his shield once more, the defensive weapon taking a rather strange form. It looked like a stone lantern, one with no source of light. "Everyone, CLOSE YOUR EYES!" Naofumi shouted to those close to him, confusing many of the present fighters. **"Focus Light!"**

The sky was a mix of ominous red and purples, but soon after the Shield said his words, the center of the village lit up like a second sun was born there, lighting up the place to a blinding point. The light lasted for about four seconds, after which the buzzing and the groaning of the monsters increased.

"EVERYONE, FORM A CIRCLE AND KEEP CLOSE TO EACH OTHER. BACK TO BACK, ONLY ATTACK WHEN YOU HAVE SOMEONE TO DEFEND YOU!" Naofumi shouted to those present. Many were confused by the sudden command, but the closing monsters dimmed all their fighting spirits. Many dropped their weapons and ran off, making Naofumi groan in agony.

_I guess they gave no real obligation to stay. Fucking cowards, but smart cowards! I wish I could do the same. Fighting this bullshit, how troublesome!_

He and Raphtalia were back to back, the girl cutting any approaching monsters. Naofumi would tank the incoming blows and parry attacks, giving the raccoon slave many chances to lunge her sword. Ten minutes later and the duo was covered in monster blood and guts, keeping their counterattacks in check.

Raphtalia lunged once more to attack a group of General zombies when Naofumi perceived the change. The air suddenly heats up, making the hero sweat even more under his armor. He rushed out and grabbed the girl by her wrist.

Raphtalia seemed surprised by her lord's sudden actions. He grabbed her and ducked, covering her inside his mantle as his shield morphed into another form. **[Light Metal Shield] **ready, Naofumi pointed it towards the incoming projectiles.

The center area of the village lit up like an inferno, many fireballs descending upon the monsters and wiping them in a shower of flame. His magical defenses increased, Naofumi easily protected himself and Raphtalia, weathering the flames and waiting for the remaining monsters to die out.

Rather quickly, the flames spread on towards the wooden houses. Naofumi was thankful his guess struck true and the attack was magic based. From the direction where the attack came, a platoon on knights walked in, smug expressions at the destruction they caused.

"What can I say, the legendary durability of the Shield is really uncontested!" The captain of the platoon exclaimed. Raphtalia seethed. The girl rushed from her place towards the knight and brought down her sword, almost separating the man's head from his body if one of the other knights hadn't stepped up and blocked her blow.

"You knew Naofumi-sama and I were here and yet, you attacked anyway! What is the reason of your attack? Think properly about your answer; I won't forgive you, based on your response." The interlocking swords emitted sparks, the captain taking a few seconds to compose himself.

"The demons were gathering in this spot for some reason; we simply took the best course of actions and eliminated the enemy threat. Besides, both of you came just fine, right?" The man held a sneer. Raphtalia looked possessed, just ready to strike once more. The knights put their hands on the hilts of their swords, ready to protect their squad leader.

"Raphtalia, enough!" Naofumi exclaimed, arms crossed and a malicious smile nestled in his face.

"Your hero understands it. Our choice was not wrong." The squad leader continued speaking, Raphtalia turned to her lord in exasperation, wondering why he was taking this abuse so easily.

"Let's see them handle this! A proper test of a Knight's mettle, quite the view, don't you think?" Naofumi's dark smile was accentuated by the wave of monsters behind the knights. The squad captain turned around, surprise all over his face. A battle axe belonging to one of the General zombies fell amidst the knights, throwing a few of the armed men about.

"Men, do not panic and face the monsters!" His pathetic commands matched his face, which was about to be sliced by the enormous battle coming to meet his face. Lucky for him, Naofumi rushed out and blocked the blow.

"Raphtalia!"

"On it!" Once more, the girl used her lord's shoulders as a platform and jumped, matching the tall zombie's height. She dug her sword into the demon's forehead. As the zombie fell, crushing other demons, Naofumi shouted.

"You are knights, right? Get into a fucking defensive formation then and match my timing. I'll defend and tank the blows, you focus on attacking between the gaps I make." The squad leader was red in anger at being shouted commands. His troops were confused at what to do, the sudden attack of the monsters and the lack of orders was certainly taking its toll.

"You, a mere criminal, dares to give orders to the King's royal guards!?" The captain was red with anger. His resolve, however, was broken when Naofumi directed his eyes at him, the murderous glance of the Shield promised pain. The hero pointed his opened hands at the knight leader and shouted a skill.

"**Air Strike Shield!"** The magical barrier appeared just in time to protect the man from one of the smaller zombies, which met its end as another soldier took the chance to take it down. The squad leader stayed silent; shame written all over his face. "Well then, aren't you shit at your job? Don't get me wrong, tin can, I hate you just as much as you hate me, however, the enemy is coming from that crack in the sky over there."

"Piss me off and I can leave you here to die any time it damn well pleases me!" The burning building behind the hero, combined with his rage filled expression, quickly scared the knights into formation.

"Naofumi-sama!" Raphtalia pointed high into the sky, the fissure in reality closing and dispersing the ominous aura that felt so oppressive a few minutes ago.

_Did those clowns managed to finish the job? At least they can do one thing right._

"Stay alert and maintain high guard. Now comes the harder part! Eliminate any monsters you see!" Naofumi shouted to the knights, the platoon immediately falling in order. Even the squad leader obeyed. The Hero released a sigh and picked one potion from his waist pouch, this one having a blue-ish tint. Quickly downing the liquid, Naofumi eyed his SP bar slowly increase. He swapped his Shield to **[Iron Stake Shield] **and stayed in front of the knights' formation, Raphtalia by his side.

"Remember, match my timing!" The knights shouted in agreement. _Good, now let's clean up!_

* * *

**Boss Grounds**

**The Three Heroes**

"Fuohh, that was easy!" Motoyasu exclaimed, resting his spear on his right shoulder. Close by, Ren and Itsuki smiled at their win against the wave boss. The creature, a Chimera, laid dead on the group, various wounds inflicted against the demon.

"That's expected, after all!" Ren held a small smile, eyeing the creature and deciding which part he would take.

"If the waves continue like this, the next one will be a snap!" Itsuki had a more open smile.

The heroes' parties were around them, talking among themselves. The battlefield around them was somewhat damaged, but nothing too out of place for such a battle. The groups heard the sound of many feet coming close, the knights coming from the close by village.

"Now that I think about it, I haven't seen Naofumi anywhere." The Spear Hero commented, glancing over the field. His red headed companion, together with his entire party, approached the three heroes and began talking.

"Motoyasu-sama, of course the Shield would not be present! He lacks the means to fight; his presence here would only get in our way, after all!" Malty finished her piece by brushing her clean hair aside. The other girls softly laughed to themselves, making the Spear bearer smile like a fool.

"Yeah, you're totally right!" As he faced his party, the knights finally arrived.

"Noble heroes, how well have you fought!" The Knights' leader complimented the trio, coming closer to them in his pompous manner. "The castle is preparing a banquet in your honor as we speak. Let us make haste and meet the King; he is eager to reward your valiant efforts!" Compliments after compliments showered the heroes and their parties.

"It is time to celebrate your victory over the wave!"

* * *

**Meanwhile, back in Ryute Village.**

"Lift!" Naofumi shouted to the adventurers close to him. The four-man group grunted, managing to lift the wooden pylon of the building, allowing access to a crumbled house. "Go on, quick!" The hero shouted, arms straining under the weight. The adventurers rushed inside the building, grabbed the family inside and exited it just in time for Naofumi to let go, the impact of the pylon raising a small dust cloud.

The group thanked him for the help. The hero merely nodded and glanced over the village. Many lines of smoke went up the sky, a great number of houses had burnt and crumbled. He saw Raphtalia coming over, sheathing her sword in her scabbard.

"Naofumi-sama, the demons have more or less been eliminated." Her report was short. Naofumi grunted in acknowledgement, once more looking over the smoldering remains of the village.

_The damage was severe, even with me here aggro'ing the monsters. How long will it take for everyone here to get everything in order? If the wave kept on going, what would happen? Will the kingdom help these people get their lives together or… Best not to think about it, my job was to protect them. If they are alive, they can rebuild; death can't be fixed!_

The hero was pulled out of his thoughts by a tugging on his cape. He turned to look, finding Raphtalia grasping at the end of the dirty cloak. Her face was down, her body covered in dirt as per their fighting. Naofumi himself was disgusting, caked in blood and grime, none which belonged to him.

"My lord, I did my best, right? I worked hard, so that no other kid has to face what I had to go through." The raccoon girl was holding back a great deal of sobs, her shoulders hanging low just as her head. Naofumi spared her a sideway glance. He released a sigh and approached her, patting her head comfortingly.

"Yeah, you did well." His soft patting, combined with his kind words were enough for her. She let out silent tears.

* * *

**Night time.**

**Castle Town.**

"Oh, Heroes! Your valiant efforts have been a blessing to our kingdom! The damage we received due to the Waves is almost null, all thanks to your bravery! Enjoy the night, this feast is your name!" Aultocray jovially announced to all the guests, lifting his wine goblet high up. All the nobles followed their sovereign, praising the heroes for their efforts.

Motoyasu and his party were by far the loudest group, the Spear hero downing his cup with vigor, letting some wine fall off on him. The women around him smiled and praised him; they also served as a deterrent for the many young noble women that wanted to approach the hero.

Itsuki's group was alright, enjoying the food from the banquet and laughing among themselves. Many nobles approached them, the rather pretty-boy looking hero easily engaging in conversation with the aristocracy.

Ren and his followers were the quietest of the bunch, calmly drinking and enjoying their time here.

Naofumi on the other hand…

The Shield Hero was in a corner, sitting by the window. He had his arms crossed, eyes going over the help menu. Questions about the wave popped frequently in his mind, possibilities being brought up and discarded based on how expensive they would be for all parties involved.

He had heard the King's speech alright, and it all sounded like one thing to him. _Bullshit!_

_Feast? Are you retarded, you Trash-King? Ryute Village had it the worst, some people almost dying because of the incompetence of your knights. Their houses were burnt to the ground and many lost businesses. Just being here with you this garbage pisses me off! If it weren't for the reward, I would rather be out there getting stronger for the next wave!_

The Shield's eyes found his companion close to the dinning table, food crumbs over her mouth. She was once more presentable, the duo having time to wash up and at the very least clean their clothes and armor. She looked at him, her hands busy with a plate. "What is it, Raphtalia?"

"Naofumi-sama, there is so much tasty food in here, I don't even know what to choose!"

"Why don't try everything out then? You worked hard enough to earn it, and it will save on expenses too." The girl ignored the part about the money and let a light blush tinge her cheeks.

"Do you like women on the bigger side, Naofumi-sama?" Her question made him frown, the hero wondering what in seven hells was this girl talking about.

"I don't care, either way is fine. Just eat the damn food already. If you get some weight, you'll burn it off by fighting." He crossed his arms and leaned on the stone of the wall. Raphtalia pouted, displeased that her lord had called her fat. She was about to rebuke when he spoke again. "You're a kid, eating is important for you to grow up. And as I said, it'll save us some money while we're in the city."

The girl released a sigh. "I almost forgot you were like this…" She left and returned to the banquet table, quickly filling in her plate with a varied assortment of food. She quickly came back, a renewed bounce in her step. She almost shoved the plate in his face, presenting the many dishes to him.

"You eat up too, Naofumi-sama! Everything in here is delicious, I can assure you!" Raphtalia took another bite of the food, swooning at the wonderful taste filling her mouth. Naofumi gave up and grabbed the offered fork, taking a bite off the offered food. "Doesn't it taste amazing?"

"It tastes like nothing." His response was dry, eyeing the dish in front of him with disgust. Raphtalia was surprised, soon a bitter smile settled over her lips.

"There you are!" A shouting voice echoed their way, various guests parting to give way for the Spear Hero. The blonde made his way towards the duo, Naofumi already sighing and feeling a migraine. "Don't you dare move Naofumi!"

"What is it, Motoyasu?" The Shield asked in a tired tone. All he wanted was to get his reward and go already.

"I heard all about how Raphtalia-chan is actually your slave!" The Spear bearer grabbed Raphtalia's left shoulder and pulled her towards him, almost making the girl drop her food plate. The shouting blonde's words made the surrounding nobles start murmuring and whispering. Raphtalia was confused as to where the problem laid as.

The Shield Hero took a deep breath. "Yeah, she is. What of it?" Immediately, many people made surprised noises, wondering why would a hero have a slave. Motoyasu was taken aback by Naofumi's disregard on the matter.

"Why, you! Don't you know any decency? Heroes shouldn't own slaves; people's lives aren't objects to be owned like that! Don't forget we come from another world and as such should set the example! This kind of behavior won't do!"_ Passionate words coming from a womanizer, but hey, judge the shield why don't you! _The blonde hero was shouting to make everyone inside the room listen to him.

"This kind of behavior won't do? For who? That's your logic, isn't it? Why do I have to listen to you?" Naofumi simply said, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes._ Leave it to Motoyasu to make the show about himself. I want to go home already!_

The Spear hero grit his teeth and removed his glove, throwing it in front of the Shield Bearer. More surprised noises followed by, the murmurs increasing. Naofumi lazily eyed the white glove on the ground, his eyes moving between looking over the glove and the blonde fool. Naofumi moved his right foot and in a move that made many gasp, he stepped over the white glove, dirtying it brown.

"What is that supposed to do?" Naofumi asked, his voice leaking his annoyance. Motoyasu pointed his spear at the Shield.

"Let's have a duel! If I win, you'll let Raphtalia-chan be free!" Naofumi looked at Kitamura, wondering if maybe the blonde was retarded or mentally impaired.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Please, wait a moment sir, but—" Before Raphtalia could defuse the situation, a guard came behind her and gagged her. The guard tried to bring the raccoon girl with him, but before he could do anything else, Naofumi's fist found the soldier's nose. The man was thrown back violently, his body rag-dolling and hitting one of the dinner tables, breaking the wood and throwing food everywhere. Many noble women let out surprised yelps. Kitamura himself was surprised, seeing the supposed powerless Shield punch a man unconscious like that.

"Try that shit again, see if I won't kill you!" Naofumi's voice was just short of a roar.

"Of course, the criminal Shield would be the one to own a slave. What to expect of such a devious hero?" Aultocray made his way closer to the heroes, more soldiers following in behind the king. "Compared to Lord Motoyasu, your rogue nature stands out even more. Worry not, for your trial is here. I'll permit this duel!"

"Slow the fuck down! For starters, how about you don't decide shit for me? I gain nothing from this farce, and I never planned on accepting this shit in first place. Just give me my damn reward and I'll fuck off." Naofumi shouted. He almost pleaded that he wouldn't be able to fight without Raphtalia, but he chose not to.

Soldiers surrounded Raphtalia, but they kept their distance. Now that she was alert, any chance of grabbing her would surely end up poorly, if the many blades the girl had were anything to go by. Aultocray looked over her, eyeing the girl like someone sees garbage. "Worry not, young lady. When Lord Motoyasu wins, we shall remove that devious curse cast upon you."

"If you please would let me explain! There has been some sort of misunderstanding! It is true that I am Naofumi-sama's slave, however, he doesn't treat me poorly. In fact—" The raccoon girl was interrupted, Motoyasu's redheaded companion loudly cutting over her.

"Poor girl, forced to say such words in defense of the devious Shield Hero. Worry not, Motoyasu-sama's victory is assured." Naofumi heard the bitch saying these words and his blood started to simmer. Anger was clearly perceived in the Shield's eyes.

"The duel will happen in the Castle's Garden!" The king declared, leaving no space for questioning. Raphtalia was about to protest about the absurdity of these happening, but her master's voice rose first.

"LISTEN TO ME, YOU FUCKERS!"

"Naofumi! You can't be planning on backing out of this fight!" Motoyasu went and grabbed the Shield Hero on the shoulder. Naofumi's head snapped in Motoyasu's direction, eyes igniting with fury and rage. The Spear hero couldn't help but back off, intimidated by such killing intent.

_I ain't falling for your stupid tricks! This Trash-King, this redheaded bitch and this retarded hero! Take your honor shit and shove it up your ass. I have no obligation to fight you!_

"Raphtalia! We are going!" Naofumi declared. Aultocray raised his hands and the soldiers pointed their spears and swords against both Naofumi and Raphtalia. The Shield Hero felt rage built up inside his gut. _Go ahead assholes, try my defense. See if I won't shove this shield up yours!_

"Shield Hero, this is an official duel, recognized by none other than me, the King! You shall fight, or your companion shall suffer the consequences!" Those words made the hero stop. Ever so slowly, Naofumi turned to face the king. No, the hero turned to face trash, for that is all he saw. Filling this entire place, disgusting filth.

_You want a duel? You want to shine a light under Motoyasu's ass so much that you'll resort to trying to rob Raphtalia from me. Was last time not enough, you want a second time?_

**Doeth Thou Se3k Pow3r?**

_Fine! I'll do you a favor and bring you down to the mud with me! Do you want praises and songs on how you defeated a man that can't fight? How heroic of you!_

"You want a duel that badly? Fine, I'll give you what you want! If I win, you'll stop pestering me about Raphtalia, right?" Laughter echoed in the room, the previous whispers were now loud ramblings and jokes.

"The Shield Hero against the Spear Hero? How Hilarious!"

"How is the Shielder going to win? Hahaha!"

"What is he ranting on? Has the Shield lost his mind?"

_Laugh, you scum. It'll be all the better when I smash this fucker's face in!_

**Thou art willing to pay the price?**

"Naofumi-sama! You can't possibly be planning on fighting alone! I'm your sword, you can't fig—" Naofumi rose one hand to made the girl stop talking. He came closer and whispered in her ear.

"_Be on your guard. This trash is planning something, I'm sure. I don't know if I can win against Motoyasu or not, but I'm not going to let them walk all over me like this! If things look bad over there, escape to the Old Man's shop immediately! Don't let them catch you, Raphtalia. Do you understand?"_ It was clear on his tone; her master was determined to see this through the end.

Raphtalia nodded, hands quietly brushing against her equipment to check if everything was in place.

"I'll just say one thing. No one was willing to fight with me, so my only option was to get a slave. Slavery here in Melromark is completely legal, but if you will keep this farce, saying I'm the one in the wrong…I'll play your stupid game!" Naofumi rose his head and his eyes settled over the Spear Hero. "There must be plenty of other people enjoying and abusing slaves here, yet the country does nothing to crack down the slavery. Only when I'm involved, suddenly things are bad right?"

"I'll expose your hypocrisy here and now, let's see how you like your name slandered!" With those words, all those that were inside the banquet moved to the garden.

Naofumi was looking over his skill tree. He was inside a narrow corridor leading to what was the garden where they were going to fight. For a quick second he eyed the many weapons displayed in the walls; however, he knew better. His shield would never let him battle with anything else that wasn't itself.

The many guards placed inside looked at him with disgust, which he retributed with a look of his own.

The door opened and he walked out. Opposite of him, Motoyasu came over the sound of loud cheers. He displayed a few fancy spins with his weapon and pointed the spearhead to the Shield Hero. Naofumi ignored it, eyeing the stands and seeing Raphtalia. She was free, yet, surrounded by soldiers.

"This is a sacred duel between the Spear Hero and the Shield hero! Loss will occur should any of the competitors be backed into a corner or admit defeat!" Trash-king spoke, rousing the nobles. Naofumi managed to see Ren and Itsuki, both watching this poor joke with neutral expressions.

_Bet you wankers are exploding with joy, aren't you? I'll put out a show you'll never forget!_

"Between the Shield and the Spear, who would win? That's not much of a question, is it now?" Motoyasu declared with unshakable confidence. Naofumi merely stared darkly at the blonde. "You're wrong, Naofumi. I'll release Raphtalia-chan from your evil clutches!"

_What, you think you're some white knight? A savior of the oppressed? _

"You may begin!" Aultocray's lowered hand declared the start of the duel. Motoyasu rushed to meet him, his spear changing shape. The blonde hero trust at Naofumi, his spear stopped as it met the changed shield. **[Light Metal Shield]** in place, Naofumi only had spread his stance to better absorb what he hoped would be an overwhelming impact. It was not.

"That's to be expected of the Shield Hero's defense, huh?" Motoyasu cockily proclaimed. Naofumi let a sinister smirk settle over his lips, making the blonde frown. "What is it?"

"Ever heard the tale of the battle between the invincible spear and the unbreakable shield? One is meant for attacking, the other is for defending. Their purposes couldn't be more different from the very beginning, they are almost a contradiction of each other." Naofumi spoke his words slowly, letting the Spear digest them.

"What do you mean?" The Spear asked, making the Shield Bearer laugh sarcastically.

"Too much of an imbecile to get the meaning? Fine, I'll spell it out for you. In this battle between the strongest Shield and the strongest Spear, you lost the moment you couldn't pierce my defenses." The smirk Naofumi had made Motoyasu shout.

"No one here will accept such an outcome!" The Spear broke their stalemate with a jerky movement. He spun and prepared to release his skill. "**Turbulent Trust!**" Various projectiles left the spear, aiming for the Shield Hero. None found their target, Naofumi had long ducked out of the way and rushed to meet Motoyasu.

"I told you, remember? I'll drag you down to hell with my two hands if need be!" Inside the Spear Hero's guard, Naofumi let loose a punch. His blow struck Motoyasu in the torso, lifting the Spear Hero a few centimeters from the ground. Attacking the following second, Naofumi quickly changed his weapon into the **[Iron Stake Shield]** and bashed the shield over the Spear's torso, quickly activating **counterattack**.

"GUuuuahhhh!" Motoyasu let out a pathetic noise as he was thrown back by the attack. The iron stakes emerging from Naofumi's shield weren't enough to pierce Motoyasu's armor, but the mere impact did hurt a bunch. It didn't necessarily make the Spear lose HP, but making the bastard feel pain was just as satisfying.

"**Blunt Spike!**" The magic construct emerged over Motoyasu. Naofumi merely descended his hand, his magic stake following the hand movement, falling right into Motoyasu. The Spear yielding hero took three blows to his back before he rolled away, making the green magical spike dig a hole in the ground.

The whole garden was in silence, the only noise being the huffing of the Spear hero as he held one hand over his abdomen, using the other to hold his spear to help him stand.

"Had enough yet, Motoyasu? I can keep going all day!" Naofumi even did a few mock punches, the provocation making the Spear hero grit his teeth.

"I'm not losing HP, but this hurts a bunch, why?" The blonde hero asked out loud. The Shield laughed with amusement. "Why are you laughing?"

"Are you truly retarded, Motoyasu? Did you think I sat all day with my thumbs up my ass and did nothing out there? This is no game, you idiot! Physics are still a thing here, dumbass! If I hit you with something this big, there is no way it wouldn't hurt, even if it did little damage."

"I'm not going to accept something like this, I'll win! For my friends who believe in me!" The blonde managed to give the Ryajuu smile to the stands, where his redheaded companion was watching the affair play out. "Here I come!" Motoyasu rushed once more and trust his spear full force against Naofumi's shield, making a dust cloud rise.

The dust settled rather quickly, allowing everyone to see Motoyasu's spear still hadn't pierced Naofumi's shield.

The weapon was nestled between two black dog heads, Naofumi smugly smiling behind his defensive weapon. The eyes of the hounds lit up. Their heads moved and bit the armored arm holding the spear. Motoyasu yelled out in pain.

"How was that?** Dog Bite** is quite nasty, isn't it?" Naofumi jabbed another provocation. "**Air Strike Shield!**" The green shield emerged between the two heroes and was pushed by Naofumi towards Motoyasu. The shield struck the hero in his torso once more, The Spear Hero coughing and letting spit come out of his mouth. "**Shield Prison!**" The cage of shields surrounded the downed Spear Hero.

"I got this new shield in the wave earlier; what do you say we test it out?" Naofumi changed the appearance of his shield, the weapon gaining a black and yellow pattern, with something akin to a spike at its bottom part. "**Change Shield (attack - Wasp Needle)**" From the interior of Shield prison, many spikes emerged and stabbed at Motoyasu. Of course, it wasn't full power. Naofumi really wanted to try using all his power against this idiot, but he held back the attack's potential.

"Stop, this actually hurts, ahhh!" The shouts and complaints persisted for about 20 seconds, until the cage of shields disappeared. Out of it came the Spear Hero. His armor had many indentations, a few parts of it were actually broken. He still looked healthy, if you bypassed the shame.

"Feel like giving up already? I was planning on bringing Balloons with me, but my time was rather short. You are lucky, I would have them focus on your pretty-boy face and that thing which makes you a man!" Motoyasu was beginning to dread the words coming out of Naofumi's mouth.

The peanut gallery was full of whispers and murmuring. Many expected the Shield Hero to be defeated rather instantly; their expectations were rather wildly subverted, seeing Naofumi practically dictate the fight to his whims, the Spear Hero having to play catch up. Maybe their hero was merely going easy on the Shield. There was no other explanation as to the event happening in front of their eyes.

Aultocray had a sour expression, his eyes refusing to believe what he was seeing. "How can the Shield stand up against the Lance? This doesn't add up…"

The Spear Hero's party was stunned. None of the women could understand the event.

Raphtalia had shining eyes. Although Naofumi was behaving rather villainous, something to worry about later, his vicious attacks were allowing him to win. Her lord was fighting so bravely for her. It was…amazing wasn't the right word, it felt lacking, but she would use that.

Naofumi, on his part…

_Holy fucking shit, I'm actually doing alright! I can win this, just need to keep up the pressure!_

"Well, since I don't have the balloons, I guess I have to do it on my own. What a shame! **Blunt Spike!"** The Shield Hero grabbed the magical construct out of the air and made his intentions rather clear. "Let me try using a _spear_ once!"

"STOOOOPPPP IIITTTT!" Motoyasu shouted, trying to defend himself.

Naofumi was close to attacking, however, he felt something shift over his back. The hero undid his magical construct and spun around rapidly, changing his shield to **[Light Metal Shield]**. Something slammed into his shield with enough force to make his flinch. He looked over his protective weapon, eyes searching for the perpetrator. He found none other than that redhaired cunt, her hand extended as if she had thrown something.

He almost shouted right there, but had to focus back in the fight. _That bitch! _He turned around, just in time for Motoyasu to trust his spear at him once more.

"**Chaos Spear**!" A skill, if the many attacks slamming into him were something of notice.

"Oi, Motoyasu! Don't tell me you didn't see that! Someone interfered in our duel!" Naofumi tried to reason with the Lance, but the blonde was not stopping.

"You ran out of magic and now you want to back out of the fight? As if I would let that happen!" Motoyasu became relentless, unleashing skill after skill against Naofumi. The Shield Bearer held his ground, thankful that his armor had some magic protection too. Another wind blast slammed into his back unexpectedly, the blow almost allowing Motoyasu an opening.

"You've to have seen that shit now!"

"All I saw is that you're tiring! Give up now and same some face, Naofumi!"

_Save some face? Are you sure you are telling that to the right person?_

"Press on Motoyasu-sama! You surely can win against this criminal hero!" Redhead shouted encouragement over the balcony. Naofumi's blood boiled, the spearhead shaving some hair off due to his distraction.

_You'll keep cheating like that, with nobody stopping this bullshit?_

Naofumi tanked another harsh blow.

**Unl3ash thy Pow3r!**

Another swing of the spear came, this time the Shield Hero parried the blow, using his physical strength to push the Spear Hero's weapon away.

"**Blunt Spike!"** Motoyasu was expecting some frontal attack. He was oh so wrong. The magical Stake slammed into him from his back, pushing the Spear Hero closer to Naofumi. The Shield Hero took the chance as it came, clotheslining Motoyasu and sending him to the ground with his back up.

Naofumi mounted the back of the Spear Hero and changed once more into **[Two headed black Dog Shield].** His weight was enough to keep the blonde immobilized, but Naofumi made the dog heads bite down on the shoulders of the lancer. Motoyasu released another pained grunt, the sound music to Naofumi's ears.

"Now, there is no way you aren't seeing this shit!" Naofumi took ahold of Motoyasu's ponytail and pulled the head of the hero backwards, making all the spectators see their loved hero defeated. "I win, there is no way you can't say I didn't!"

"Honorless scum, what are you doing to the spear hero!" Someone from the gallery shouted. Not that Naofumi cared, his eyes were focused on the King. The old man had his face turned aside, a furious frown adorning his old face. _You want to play tough to get? Well, let's try this for a change._

Naofumi let go of the blonde's ponytail, Motoyasu still refusing to admit defeat. The Shield Hero grabbed a bottle from his leather pouch, uncapped it with his mouth, and spit the cork off.

"Motoyasu, did you know? I explored the entirety of Castle Town's surroundings. I unlocked some fine shields due to that. One of these fine shields allows me to make better medicine. Want to play a game with me, while our wonderful King decides if he is going to be fair or not? I call it, how much defective medicine can I feed a hero to make him pass out?" The silence of the garden was back. Many turned their attention to Aultocray, the king still refusing to look at the arena.

Naofumi saw the bitch trembling with anger, seeing as if she attacking him now, there would be no way for her to hide the attack. Things had come to a stalemate. Or so they believed. There was no way the Shield would feed the Lance poison.

"Down the hatch it is!" Naofumi was about to feed Motoyasu the potion when once more, another wind blast hit him. The bottle flew from his hand, and the Shield Hero smirked viciously. "There is all the proof you fucking need! This bitch here has been interfering with the duel for a while! I already won!"

The Shield Hero rose from him seat under Motoyasu and turned his shield into default stage. Murmurs broke out, nobles not believing their eyes. The Shield had apparently won the duel.

Naofumi was making his way out of the garden when the knights blocked his way. He frowned. He only turned his back to see Motoyasu standing up with redhead's help.

"The Shield hero has cheated! There is no way for someone like him to win a duel! Father, please, bestow justice upon that criminal!" _Father? What the fuck is she on…_

"It is as you say, Malty, my dear daughter." Oh, so this was the reason all this bullshit kept happening to him.

She was the king's daughter.

The cunt had her preferred hero chosen, and to elevate him further, an evil needed to be there. A hero is only as great as the villain he defeats. So Naofumi was chosen to play the role of the villain. He was supposed to be the bad guy who laid defeated today. His mere existence was an inconvenience for them.

Nobody would believe he had won. Nobody would trust him. Everything had been rigged from the start. Yet he rebelled. He had not danced their little idiotic game. His every breath defied their orders. His life here had been so difficult because of these bastards.

The whore princess that, to suck up to her chosen hero, was willing to accuse him of a crime he hadn't done.

The Trash-King that protected and pulled the strings to make his daughter's every wish come true.

The retarded heroes that believed strangers from another land than a fellow hero. None of these fuckers wanted him to succeed. His downfall was their ascension.

**[Curse Series Unlocked]**

**[Shield of Anger (Wrath Shield I) Unlocked]**

Well, he hated them too. They could burn and die; it wasn't his problem. This world wasn't his problem. His forced summoning, his horrible treatment. Naofumi never asked for this.

The world blanked out. Naofumi wasn't listening to anything anymore. His simmering anger burst forth and became a fire inside of him. They all wanted to laugh and diminish him to make themselves seem better.

They could all burn. They would all burn. It was so easy, oh so easy.

He just had to—

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"Naofumi-sama!" Something hugged him. No, someone had hugged him. Why? Who?

"My lord is someone kind, whom has suffered. Please, calm your heart. They don't know the real Naofumi, but I know my lord's heart." The soft, child-like voice of Raphtalia whispered in his ear. Naofumi looked at the person holding him, the sudden blackness of the world went away.

A beautiful maiden with raccoon features was by his side. She had full adventurer's gear just like that of Raphtalia's, but this woman was way older.

"Who are you?" He asked like an idiot. The woman smiled at him, holding his hands in a gentle way.

"My lord, it's me, Raphtalia." She claimed to be the child whom he afflicted a curse mark of slavery.

"Raphtalia. She is a child. There is…" His speech was slow, he was processing everything leading up to now. He was fighting just a second ago, right? What had happened? He remembered darkness and rage, but nothing much besides that.

"Naofumi-sama, you didn't know about this, but us, demi-humans, have a special characteristic that allows our bodies to better match our levels to make better use of our status. You need proof to believe me, right? Here." The girl popped her collar open and exposed some of her chest.

"Your mark is still present in my body. The proof that my everything belongs to you. You fought against impossible odds to keep me by your side. Naofumi-sama, I will say this how many times it is necessary. I'm your sword; my place is by your side." The slave crest was still in her. She knew of his accusations, yet she chose to believe in him. Someone acknowledged him.

The spear hero, now fully healed, almost made his way to the duo. He couldn't have lost to Naofumi. It simply was never meant to happen. There was no way; unless Naofumi had cheated! Right! Of course, there was no way after all!

"Nao—" Any words that would leave his mouth were shot down under the gaze of his fellow heroes. Ren and Itsuki jumped from their places over the balcony and walked their way closer to Motoyasu, Malty and King Aultocray.

"Leave it at that Motoyasu. You lost!" Ren coldly spoke. The Sword Hero crossed his arms in front of his chest and huffed. "I would not believe it if someone told me, but I saw it with my own eyes. You lost the duel at least three times. I believe it's best you stopped disturbing Naofumi."

"Kitamura-kun, this whole thing has been ridiculous from the very beginning. You challenged someone who had no means to attack, got beaten, and had outside help. Enough is enough." The soft-spoken Bow Hero reprimanded his fellow hero, the Spear Hero trying to say something, but failing.

Aultocray was red with shame. His daughter also seemed pissed off by what happened, her eyes drilling imaginary holes at Naofumi's back.

The Shield Hero and his companion quietly got up and left. The Shield Bearer seemed to be in a trance, quietly letting himself be guided his companion. That word, Naofumi wanted someone he could truly depend upon.

"Come on guys, I'm not in the wrong! He has to have cheated somehow!" Motoyasu shouted at Ren and Itsuki. The Sword Hero narrowed his vision at the Lance and clicked his tongue.

"What kind of fool are you, Motoyasu?" Ren said, not bothering to stay any longer in this sham of a celebration.

"Kitamura-kun, that is…" Itsuki tried to maintain a neutral face, however, he failed to maintain his good-natured mask on.

"I'm not in the wrong though…"


	5. Growing the party

Naofumi and Raphtalia ended up returning to their inn and sleeping away their problems. The hero had a surprisingly good night's rest. He woke up early and together with his slave, the duo made their way over to the inn's common room.

Raphtalia quickly walked to the counter and talked with the woman commanding it. The duo exchanged a few words and soon Raphtalia returned to his side holding two itens covered in cloth.

"Here, Naofumi-sama, you must be hungry." She gave him one of the bundles. He unwrapped it and discovered it to be a sort of sandwich, with many dishes he recognized from yestersday's fiasco party. He looked at her, the girl just waiting for him to start on his meal for her to eat too. He shrugged, not like it would have any taste-

!

Naofumi was taken aback by the flavors filling his mouth. _Tasty! I can taste the flavors again..._He looked once more at his raccoon eared companion, the girl smiling at him.

"Since so much food was just going to be thrown away, I asked the kitchen staff if they would let us have some leftovers. They were very pleased to hear of it!" She eyed her bit sandwich with amused eyes. "Many were impressed that you managed to defeat Sir Spear Hero-sama." She bit her food once more.

Naofumi focused on eating his meal, let it be damned if it was leftovers. He finished his meal faster than he expected.

"Naofumi-sama." Raphtalia had his full, undivided attention. "From here on now, please, share your thoughts with me. Your troubles, your worries, whatever my lord desires, I'll be at your side to help you." She declared witha firm expression. It would be a touching moment, were it not for the food crumbs left on the corners of her mouth.

He sighed and gave her a half-smile. His right hand rose and brushed aside the crumbs, making the raccoon girl flush in embarassment. He laghed, amused by her reaction, and patted her head.

"Mouh, stop treating me like a child!"

* * *

The duo left the inn and made their way to the closest apothecary. The hero wanted to stock up in supplies and upgrade his beginner's equipment in regards to chemistry. They entered the shop and were greated by an old man smoking a pipe.

The thin man had his hair done in a ponytail and his old eyes looked over the duo behind thin glasses.

"Buying medicine?" The hero asked, right thumb pointing to his strapped backpack.

"Might be, let me have a look." The old man let loose a cloud of smoke and set aside his pipe. Naofumi put the many containers with his homemade itens, many interesting the owner of the store. "These seem different from the usual potion." The man uncorked one potion and sniffed the contents, enjoying the citric aroma the potion emmited. "These have been introduced in the market recently and many merchants hog the things rather viciously. How have you acquired these?"

"I make them." The simple response made the old man raise one eyebrow before his eyes settled over the shield Naofumi had strapped to his arm.

"Shield Hero, right?" The old apothecarian searched the bookshelf behind him, taking a few books and settling them on the counter. "I'll buy all your remaining medicine. Take the books as a freebie." This time it was Naofumi's turn to raise his eyebrows.

The senior picked his pipe again and gave it another puff.

"I have relatives over Ryute Village; you saved them and even healed their wounds."

"I merely did my job. They paid for the potions, it wasn't charity. Why?" Naofumi eyed the man with suspicion.

Another puff of the pipe, another line of smoke released.

"It's second-hand, nothing really worth anything. Merely a thanks." The apothecarian pushed the books over to Naofumi. "They should have medium-level recipes, those will earn you a nice penny."

The hero eyed the books and the old man for a few seconds before he sighed. He opened the first one in a random page, a mixing part if the drawn ilustrations were anything to go by, and almost grimmaced. He couldn't understand jackshit of the writing. Even so, he grabbed the rather heavy books and put them inside his pack.

"Give me a advanced compounding kit." The hero said as he grabbed his beginner's chemistry kit and pointed it at his shield's gem. A quick meal for the shield and another skill tree opened for him.

"Hundred silver coins. You already know how to work with advanced tools? They are quite fragile." Even as he said so, the old man still attended to the request, setting the many glass containers over the counter.

Naofumi merely smirked, pointing to the potions on the counter. "I made the first back of these with riverstones as mortars and leatherflasks as containers, give me the proper containers, apropriate tools and the needed materials and we both will be swimming in cash." The apothecarian gave Naofumi an apraising eye. He closed his eyes and nodded slowly.

"I see. The Holy Shield chose a merchant and a warrior, a odd combination for sure, but one that is highly appreciated. I'll contact my people, they will search the market for rare ingredients." Naofumi put the required silver coins on the counter and held his hand out. The apothecary looked at the hand in confusion.

"In my world, successful bussiness are settled with a handshake. I will hold my end of the bargain, will you hold yours?" The hero asked in a serious tone, the easy air from before left aside. The old man took another puff of his pipe, quickly extending his hand to grasp the Japanese's. "I'll be using Ryute Village as my base for a while, if you get the ingredients, send word." The two man nodded and agreed in the way only businessmen did after scoring a big contract.

"What is going on?" Raphtalia asked, many questions going over her head. She had been paying attention to the entire conversation, hoping to learn something from it. Her master and the apothecarian had seemingly exchanged simple words, but their conversation took on an entire different ending than what she was expecting.

"Oh, I almost forgot. The lady from the magic store also wanted to have some words with you.

Raphtalia let her ears perk up. It seemed that word of her master's heroics was spreading. She puffed her chest in hapiness.

Naofumi wondered for a few moments if he should meet this new lady.

_Of course I should. Acquiring reliable contacts within the city is important. Erhart old man, this guy here, even those merchant bastards, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them. Getting information about this world will also be a boom for Raphtalia and I. Speaking of which, we need to increase our party. If the knights were that incompetent with the Waves in the first stages, only the heroes and their teams will be relevant in the long term. Huhh, shitty king, shitty princess, shitty knights, can Melromark get any worse? No, Naofumi, don't! These things can always get worse, don't set any flags you don't want to deal with._

* * *

"Your affinities lie with healing and support."

Naofumi almost regretted coming to this place.

The magic shop, ran by a plump lady in witch garb, was almost like a library. The smell of old books was calming, they reminded Naofumi of home, of Japan. There were many trinkets and lay abouts over the place, but the majority of the shelves were filled with books and scrolls about magic, or so Naofumi though. He wasn't a mage, for all he knew, this place could be filled to the brim with weird shit.

He breathed in deeply, enjoying the smell of old parchment, eyes turning to stare at the clear eyes this lady had. She had an easy going expression and a personality to match, seeing as she was effortlessly talking with Raphtalia as if they were old friends already. She was the type of pushy old lady that always managed to get away with what she wanted, merely due to being pushy about any subject.

She hovered her hands over the magic orb on her table, eyeing Raphtalia with a jovial expression.

"Well, well, young lady, your affinities are somewhat rare, light and dark. They are a good combination, surprising versatility, something rather appropriate for a raccoon demi-human." The witch moved with a surprisingly fast step, darting from place to place, getting another stack of books that Naofumi gave the stink eye. _I guess I can't really avoid the subject any longer. Surprisingly, I made due this far without being able to read anything here. Another project to add to the pile._

"These are beginner-level grimores, packet full of simple spells. It's a bit harder to learn magic using grimores, but the efficiency is much higher than simply learning one single spell from a spell orb. I would teach you myself, but I have some urgent matters to attend, so these will have to do." The witch apologized in the end, the hero already thankful for her help. Raphtalia was almost squealing in joy, hands joined and eyes shining.

_Wait. Spell orbs?_

"The fuck is a spell orb?" Naofumi couldn't help the cuss. The old woman looked at him curiously.

"You didn't know? The king ordered a bunch of them for the heroes. I personally would prefer to give them grimores, considering the many limitations of spell orbs, but royalty does what royalty pleases. I swear, the Queen must be quite tired if she plays the game of the aristocrats. Oh, forgive me, we're talking about Spell orbs, right? Basically, they are magic stones that grant one magic spell upon whoever uses them. As I said, magic that originates from proper study is much more efficient, but today's youth is so impressionable that they forget the value of hard work. How troubling for this lady" If Naofumi ignored the rising anger inside his gut, he would actually enjoy this coversation equivalent of gossiping.

_Figures that that Trash of a king would do something like this. That redhead cunt must be enjoying it, getting skills and special equipment like that. The fucking coffers of this place are, at least, stacked. Give me five minutes inside and my **[Currency Holder Shield]**, you wouldn't find a single copper left behind._

Raphtalia saw her master's face darken for a few seconds. She was about to reach out a hand and touch him, but his anger seemed to settle down as he released a sigh, one too many for being so early in the morning.

"Hey lady, thank you for the help." The hero once more packed more books, grimores really, inside his already heavy packback. "Let's get going Raphtalia, we still need to visit one more place." The duo of hero and slave left the magic shop, waving their hands at witch. She saw them off, wide smile in place.

"What a fine lad!~ If I were a couple of years younger, I would try to join his party." The lady commented to herself, waking back to her table. She was about to return to her book when a glimmer of metal caught her attention. A neat stack of 50 silver coins.

The witch smile grew even more. Did her niece finish her magic studies?

"If she were to marry the Shield Hero, would their kid have high defensive magic or the best supportive type of the magical branch? This old lady can still dream after all. Ohohohohoh." The witch laughed and did a spell, calling a vial of ink and some parchment to come to her table. She had some letters to write.

* * *

"What a fine product indeed! Merely a month ago she was sickly and dying, yet after such short time she was raised into top quality." The Slave Merchant was huffing like a pervert, rubbing his hands in a disgusting manner. The fucker even had a blush, his glasses lighting with a weird flash. "Even without her virginity, she would sell likely for 20 gold coins."

"Ptff-" Naofumi spit and hacked, hearing a rather large amount of money being suddenly offered for Raphtalia.

"Wha-? Of course I'm still a virgin!" Raphtalia shouted in shame, a violent blush over her face. _Twenty gold coins..._

"Seriously!? Then, 35 gold coins! No, 40!" Naofumi widened his eyes at the amount. Raphtalia's tail frisked and she looked at him, expecting him to say something.

_Forty gold coins..._

"Naofumi-sama! If you don't say anything, I'll get angry!" The hero blinked a few times, his pupils changing to their normal shape instead of the coin format it had taken previously.

"Of course I'd never sell you, Raphtalia. It's just...quite a deal of money." The hero assured the girl. She looked away from him, inflating her cheeks to display her anger. "You are irreplaceable." He simply said what was on his mind. It appeared to be effective, the girl's fluffy tail swishing sideways, even if she still had her back turned to him.

Raphtalia eyed him from the corner of her eyes, pouting.

"Well, dear customer, if you aren't here to sell her," The penguin look-alike left the question to be filled by the hero. Naofumi rolled his eyes, spotting something he hadn't seen before. Atop some wooden crates, a box sat with its lid open.

He walked closer to the box, seeing it full of white eggs marked with the same pattern of the curse crest. "Hey, Slave Owner, what are these?"

"Oh, what a sharp eye, my lord! These are our specialty, monster eggs; they are our most requested item. For merely 100 silver pieces a try, you can acquire a obedient monster. Our batches are top quality, you can acquire at the very least a Philorial, and the biggest prize, a dragon!" The Slave owner explained, twisting the tips of his mustache as he pointed to one of the eggs.

Naofumi eyed the box, suspicion written all over his face. "How do I know this won't be a scam?"

"My lord!? There is no way we would tamper with the products we display to our customers! I run a honest business, tricking my customers is not something that ever occured to me!" Cheap lip service or pride? Not that Naofumi cared. In the business world, no matter the type of business, it was rather chaotic. People would tell you that being fair and mindful of others was the way to go, but turn your back and those same people'd be the ones owning sweatshops that overworked their _"employees"_ half to death. Japanese Black companies (term for business that force their employees boderline inhuman workind hours and requests) were rather infamous for being one of the most harsh enviroments one could find yourself into.

"Yeah, sure!" Sarcasm dripping from his voice, Naofumi eyed the eggs rather carefully. Raphtalia was curious as to her master's plans for why he had come back here. The place didn't bring pleasant memories, but it was where her lord had found her. Was he planning on...

"This one and this one." The black haired hero pointed to two eggs, the Slave Owner's expression shifting to his disgusting smile. Rubbing hands in that way that made you wash yourself in alcohol, then lit the match, the merchant approached the box and picked the two eggs. He placed them inside glass incubators, but before he placed the glass over the eggs, he asked Naofumi to put some blood in the ink for the process. A slight prick and a few drops of blood later, the eggs had been registered as Naofumi's.

**Naofumi acquired Monster Egg(A), Monster egg(B).**

"Anything else you might like to acquire, my lord?" Counting the coins handed to him, Slave Owner offered. Naofumi observed someting only he could see, eyes shifting before he nodded.

"Since I'm already here, might as well. I've some cash to spare, show me more slaves, same as last time. Not totally broken, nor anything crippled." Naofumi spoke, holding one of the incubators while Raphtalia carried the other.

"Naofumi-sama, should we really be spending this much money right now?" The raccoon girl wasn't up to par as to their finances. They always lived frugally, so spending so much so soon was not something Raphtalia was accustomed to.

"We accumulated a great deal selling all those potions and pills, remember? Besides, we need more people." They had obtained victory last time against the waves, but it wasn't without cost. The major damages to Ryute Village; those that died before Naofumi could shield them. He wasn't naive to believe people hadn't died there before his arival, doing so would be foolish. He needed more party members to assure even 1% more his chances of survival. He had time, forty-six days and seventeen hours to be exact until the next wave hit them, to train and prepare.

Problem was, Naofumi would not trust anyone right now. People were looking out to fuck him over, he could not lower his defenses. Slaves were the best bet. Raphtalia had turned out fine under his tutelage, the others would do so. He wasn't looking to torture or maim anyone, and inflicting injuries upon them was retarded to the utmost level. Why in seven hells would he damage his property?

Sure, it was a grim, inhuman way to look at people, but as he had just said, why would he willingly damage his tools? Would a blacksmith mistreat his hammer and anvil for sadistic pleasure? Was a swordsman going to drag his blade through dirt because he enjoyed it? Only idiots did such retarded shit, and Naofumi was no idiot.

"Add onto that the fact that with more people with us we can hunt more prey, gather more items and be safer. I only see benefits to acquiring more."

Raphtalia could not counter him.

"Here we are, sir!" Slave Owner pulled the curtain that led access to the slaves, the smell of disease not even bothering Naofumi anymore. Raphtalia had hard eyes, looking over the condition of her fellow demi-humans, but before her hands could start trembling at the memories of the cages and chains, her master grabbed her shoulder. She tightened her hold on the incubator.

"First we look out for us and our own, then we can help others." The hero approached and whispered in her ear. Normally, such proximity against her master would be enjoyable, his normally stand off-ish nature aside, but now she clung unto the ray of hope he presented to her.

Many eyes focused on the new arivals, but soon they faded away. A new master, a new dirty slave, did it matter?

"Can't you at least clean up the place?" Naofumi complained to the Slave Owner, eyeing the many slaves in their cages._ Think properly on who we want to buy. I can do the tanking and support, but having another one person helping would be good. Raphtalia's focus is on mobility and damage, but she seemes more like a fighter than a rogue. Should I train a Crusader-type or get someone specialized in stealth?_ The hero's eyes searched the demi-humans, but no one seemed good. His eyes scanned the stats and he pondered his options.

"If I might suggest, my lord." Slave Owner appeared behind the hero, circling him."Why not visit the castle dungeons?"

Naofumi tilted his face sideways. "Why the hell would I go there?"

"Were you not informed, my lord? By the king's decree, any person skilled in any art is required to help the heroes, should their skills be deemed necessary. I believe that no one would complain should you brand criminals with the slave crest and offer a pardon on their sentence should they work properly for your cause." The Slaver suggested, working on another batch of cursed ink.

Naofumi clicked his tongue, anger once more painting his face. The hero did a few breathing exercises, focusing his mind in not murdering Trash king._ Of course I would be the last one to know about this. _The Shield Hero cycled through some ideas, did some calculations and looked at the slaves in sale.

His eyes scanned the names and levels, many ideas for combinations going on his mind. _Come on, one of you has to have something for me. _It seemed that not everything was lost here. Weirdly enought, Naofumi found someone in Level 1. Raphtalia was one thing, considering she was a child at the time, but all the current slaves here were at least level 2-3. Finding someone level one was strange.

The hero walked in the direction of the Level, considering the nametag merely had _"?". _He arived in front of the cage and confusion spread on his face. The shop was full of demi-humans, yet the person in front of him was definitively human. Dirty brownish hair, white-ish skin, dressed in slightly better rags than those around her, a woman was there. She had a blank expression, eyes staring out into nothing.

"Hey, you." He called her out, her head slowly turning to meet his eyes. "What is your name?"

"This one has no nome, degozaru." _Degozaru? What the hell? Since when has this turned into a Sengoku-period drama? _Weirded out, the hero turned his head to the owner of the place.

"Oi, what's with this one? I thought slavery was prohibited for humans, why is she here?" The question made the Slave Owner take off his tophat and polish it a bit.

"Well, it is prohibited for sure, but in special cases that can be pardoned. War prisoners, bandits, and those banished by royalty can have the Slave Crest applied no problem. Worry not, my lord, I would never let you get into trouble." Smirking, Slave Owner rubbed his hands and motioned to the girl. "Our usual costumers have no interest in her, considering her expressionlessness. I bought her from a noble close to the royalty, but she hasn't been much use. How about it sir? 300 silver pieces and she is all yours!"

"300 silver pieces? No fucking deal! I bought Raphtalia far cheaper than that." Naofumi argued, crossing his arms and staring at the tuxedo dressed man.

"Naofumi-sama! Please, don't imply that I'm a cheap girl!" Raphtalia shouted at her master.

"My lord, you have to understand that I run a business here. I can't lower her price anymore, otherwise I'd be losing money here." Slave Owner pleaded, tiny crocodile tears at the corner of his eyes.

Naofumi hardened his gaze over the man, eyes narrowing in a rather intimidating matter. "That sounds like a you-problem. She is low level, is wearing rags and looks like she is about to keel over and die. 75 silver pieces, considering I'm doing you a favor." The hero presented his deal, making the Slaver almost cry for real this time.

"S-sir!? 75 silver coins is a little...her skin is still supple, and if one ignores her lack of expression, she has a considerable face and body. Her speech is polite and she behaves rather well. How about 150 silver coins?

The Shield Hero almost growled. "I hope you aren't implying what I think you're implying!" The small shield morphed into **[Two-headed Demon Dog Shield]**, the two hounds also snarling at the man. _Lower the price a bit more! That had to have intimidated you a little bit._

"Far from it, my lord. I heard from my sources that you have been making and selling medicine. While your reputation can certainly shoo away bothersome thugs, wouldn't it be better to have a proxy to sell your wares? Buyers tend to loosen their purse-strings after seeing a pretty face, and amateur merchants frequently underestimate women. Teaching her will be easy for sure, you are making a killing by acquiring her for 120 silver pieces." Wiping some sweat from his forehead, Slave Owner proposed.

Naofumi still stared at the man for a few longer seconds.

"Good enough, I guess. How generous of you to offer better clothing to hide her Slave Crest!" The hero pushed, pulling the required coins from his shield. Slave Owner wanted to say something, but gave up and nodded, smirk soon settling back on his lips.

"That is why I love you, sir! You are not afraid to drive hard bargains, and your eyes!" The man shivered while hugging and foundling his body, making Naofumi step back a few steps. "Your eyes are the best!" The merchant tried to approach Naofumi, a heavy blush and steam coming out of his body. The hero raised his shield, the two black hounds barking to snap the Slaver back into reality.

"Pardon me~" Slave Owner said.

"Fucking weirdo." Naofumi muttered, releasing a sigh.

* * *

The group left the shop quickly, the Shield Hero not wanting to stay any longer next to the Slave merchant. He changed his shield into the more common **[Iron Shield**] and shifted its position to his right hip. Raphtalia, having already received her instructions, distanced herself a bit and went to ask the locals the whereabouts of the dungeos or where the prisioners were kept.

While she didn't return, Naofumi waited by, his newest adition silently staying by his side. He eyed the girl, who had Raphtalia's height, wondering if his purchase had been correct. _No use crying over spilled milk. Better make sure she doesn't get any weird ideas. _He coughed lightly, making the girl look his way.

"You hungry?" _When in doubt, use the food approach. Conversation flows smoother if you have a full belly. _She stared at him for a few seconds.

"Worry not, master. This one can satisfy any wish you desire, there is no need for bribes, degozaru." Her dead tone was only broken by the silly attachment at the end. _Why does everyone only think of sexual favors when the talk is slaves?_

He pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled. "Yeah, about that, can you not?" He scratched his hair, wondering how to deal with the situation. "It's a simple question, no strings attached or anything. I can't have you fighting on an empty stomach." Her dead eyes glanced at him in confusion.

"Fight? Master hasn't bought this one to satisfy his carnal pleadings?" He groaned hard at her phrase.

"How do you people get this impression of me?" It was less of a question and more of a murmur to himself, but the girl's next answer made him narrow his eyes.

"The Holy scriptures call the Shield a Devil. Murder and rape are telltale signs that the Shield Devil has awakened."Her flat tone made hard for him to decide if she believed in her saying or was merely recalling information, nevertheless, it was new information. _Shield Devil, huh?_

The hero got closer to a street stall and ordered some meat skewers. Receiving his order and paying up, Naofumi offered two of the current seven sewers in his hands to the girl. She eyed the meal, but didn't take it. Naofumi pushed the meal unto her hands and made a signal for her to follow him, Raphtalia returning with their information.

"Naofumi-sama, this way." The raccoon girl guided the group to another district of the city. It was close to the castle, but closer to a rather poor area. Even in the capital, places like this would no doubt exist. _Guess they would call this the Slums._

The cobblestone was a bit uneven, a muffled sound echoing as the trio made their to the "Castle Dungeon". Naofumi offered Raphtalia some skewers and proceeded to eat his share. Once or twice the hero would slightly turn his head to look at the slave girl, surprised to find out she had already finished her meal. _Not hungry, my ass._

"Here, eat." He presented the girl his last skewer. She didn't take it, making him release an annoyed huff. Raphtalia took the skewer and slowed her pace, matching the slave girl. Naofumi nodded and changed shields, **[Cartographer's Shield]** showing the close-by area. Not that it was necessary, considering he could already see the location.

Reaching the stone building, the hero changed his shield into the usual form and walked foward, meeting the guards.

"Halt! Identify yourself and your purpose for visiting the Castle prison." Why the prison was not under the castle, but separated from it, it was anyone's guess.

Taking a deep breath, Naofumi prepared himself.

"I'm Iwatani Naofumi, Shield Hero. I came here, under royal orders, to look for potential recruits to my party. I request that you grant me access to the dungeon." He had no reason to be rude to the guards, since they hadn't pissed him off. Yet.

The guards looked at each other, the younger soldier looked like he didn't knew what he was talking about. _Slaver, if you have lied to me, I'll skin you alive and sell you as exotic animal hide!_

The older soldier clicked his tongue and looked sideway, before noticing the two women behind Naofumi. He grew a smirk that the hero wasn't pleased.

"Oh, Shield hero, of course! No one would want to party with a criminal, so searching among the criminals is rather befitting of you." The tanned older man laughed, scratching his growing stubble. "I might have heard of such decree, but I'm not so sureee~~." Naofumi locked his jaw in place, arms crossed. _And there it is._

"Maybe, if one of those beauties would come closer, I might remember about it." Naofumi grew a rather large tick mark. He eyed the guard with narrowed eyes.

"Raphtalia." A simple command and the girl was beside him. "Please, entertain this _honorable_ soldier. It seems he has a weak memory, help him recover it." The raccoon girl stepped up and got closer. The guard had a growing blush, forgetting his junior at his side. He approached the girl with his back hunched, hands moving up to cop a feel. All that he felt was a boot connecting to the side of his helmet, a loud _"CLANG" _emmiting from the impact. He kissed the ground and passed out.

"How about you, junior? Your memories good, or do you also need help remembering things? I can provide your help myself." Naofumi declared, cracking his knuckles menacingly.

"R-right t-this way, s-sir." The younger guard never bothered to pick his fallen spear or his fellow soldier, grabbing a nearby torch and guiding the trio to the currently occupied cells. They had to walk a few minutes, many of the holding cells empty.

"These-e are t-the currently-y occupied ones." The young soldier pointed to the corridor holding at least ten rooms. Torches lit the way, the damp stone building giving a musty smell.

"Thanks for the help, we can take it from here." Naofumi said, patting the soldier on the shoulder. The young man flinched, but seeing no further threats from the hero, he nodded and was about to return to his post before the hero called him out again. "We need the keys in case we decide to open up one of the cells."

"R-right, of course!" fumbling a bit and even dropping the thick keys, the young soldier handed them to Naofumi with trembling hands. The hero took the ring of iron keys and thanked the soldier once more.

As the soldier made his way back, Naofumi glanced inside one of the cells, seeing a man laying on a makeshift strawbed. Tattoos inked on his arms, cropped hair and thug-like expression. _Typical burglar, won't obey orders and will keep on harassing the girls. _The hero proceeded to the next cell. A thin individual dressed in worn out clothing and a red bandana. He eyed the hero and sneered, buckteeth jutting out of his mouth.

_This could take a while..._

* * *

_This is new._

The hero had searched just about every cell, only finding ruffians and bandits. Naofumi was confident in his defense and in persuassive tecniques, but he hoped to not have to resort to them. It was scary to know what someone could do to another person with basic science, specially in this magic and sword world were tecnology was not fully advanced. He was almost giving up when he glanced inside the last cell. Color him surprised to see a soft pink haired woman in knight armor chained to the wall. She seemed to be okay, but you never knew.

He tried a few different keys in the slot of the wooden door. _Third time is the charm. _He joked in his head as he opened the door, the woman raising her head to meet his gaze.

"Did they finally contracted a Bandit Lord to break me?" The knight lady mocked, eyeing him with suspicion. Naofumi deadpanned. _I knew I looked way too like a bandit. Damn it, old man._

He exhaled in exhasperation. "How about some introductions first before we reach conclusions like that? I'm Iwatani Naofumi, the Shield Hero." The japanese presented himself, showing his shield to the lady. "These are my current companions, Raphtalia and..., we are still working on a name for her." He pointed to the girls, who entered the place a few seconds later.

"Shield Hero?" The woman seemed pensive. "Why are you inside a dungeon, Sir Iwatani." Naofumi almost cringed. _I'm only 20, why am I being called "Sir"?_

"Searching reliable companions." He stated. The female knight looked at him weirdly, surely wondering if a few screws weren't missing in his head. Who would search for party members inside a prison? "It's a long story. Believe me, it's not the first place that comes to my mind either, but I think this conversation would be better if I could know who I'm talking to."

The woman closed her eyes and smiled to herself, as if something amused her.

"My name is Eclair Seatto. A knight serving under the Queen Mirelia Q. Melromark. Or so I would like to present myself, but as you all can see, these chains hold me as a mere prisoner here." The now named Eclair declared. Naofumi approached her and eyed the chains holding her on the wall. He tested a few other keys, unlocking the female knight from her binding. She fell without warning, almost meeting the ground. His and Raphtalia's quick reflexes allozed them to hold Eclair before she became aquaintaced with the ground. The duo slowly lowered her to a sitting position, the pink haired woman rubbing her wrists to get some blood flowing in them. "Might I inquire the reason of my sudden release? Last I knew, King Aultocray was still in concordance with the church as to keep me contained."

Naofumi first got his canteen and shook it sideways, making the water inside slosh noisily. "Have some water first. Don't know for how long you've been in there, dehydration might be a issue, so drink first." He offered the canteen, but the knight eyed him suspiciously. Naofumi sighed, taking a swig of it and making a show of loudly swallowing the drink. "Enough proof that I haven't poisoned or laced the water?"

"Thank you." Eclair said, taking the canteen and immediately gulping it down, some spilling out of her mouth. Not that she seemed to care.

Raphtalia looked a bit jealous of the knight drinking from Naofumi's canteen.

After finishing her drink, Eclair took a few extra moments to compose herself, giving back the hero's empty water container.

"As I was saying, I came here to recruit companions. King Tra- Aultocray has given the heroes authority to recruit whoever was necessary in order to fight the waves, and out of all the thugs and thieves here, you seem to be the most reliable. Care to help me?" Naofumi waited the knight's answer. She remained in deep thought for some moments, eyeing the current companions he had.

"Might I ask why is your party solely formed of females, Iwatani-sama?" Her question made him look at the group. True to her afirmation, his party right now was consistent of him being the sole male in it. The mere thought of looking like Motoyasu made Naofumi disgusted. He focused back on Eclair.

"Their sex has nothing to do with it. I merely picked whom I thought would be useful to me. Wouldn't it be idiotic to ignore them just because they are female?" He merely answered the truth of what he thought. It would not matter to him, be it men or women, if you were useful and wouldn't try to stab him in the back, Naofumi would welcome any.

Eclair looked at him as if he had spoken some ancient secret. She smiled and nodded. "You certainly make your point. I beg your pardon for my erroneous judgement." She slowly rose from the ground. "I wish to help you in any way I can, but first I must ask for your cooperation, Iwatani-sama. I must speak with the Queen."

Naofumi let one of his eyebrows up. "I always hear everyone talking about how Melromark is a matriarchy and all, but since my arrival here, I've only seen the King displaying any power. I don't really get along with him, so our best option right now is head out and get stronger to face the Waves." He declared strongly, making Eclair look his way with a troubled expression.

"Shield Hero-Sama, I understand this is a rather selfish request, but the reason I must speak with my Queen has correlation to the waves. I have been locked in here before I could report to her, so it's extremely urgent that I relay my report to her." The hero narrowed his eyes at the woman.

"Look, I get it, but not even us heroes met with her when we arrived here." His response made Eclair widen her eyes, clear surprise on her face. "I don't doubt your loyalty to the throne, nor do I really care for it. The reason I'm here is to get a party member to fight the waves. Don't want to burst your bubble or anything, but has it occured to you that there are people that don't want you to report to the Queen?" Raphtalia whined at him, telling him to be gentler with his words, but Naofumi pressed on. "I wouldn't be surprised if someone put you in here and expected you to either die or rot with whatever information you have for the Queen. I hate wasting time and I have spent all the time I aloted to this place; decide now. Come with me, get stronger and have a better chance of meeting your Queen, or stay in this cell and rot. The King seems happy to have you here, the nobles even more, if what you told me is true."

Naofumi finished his piece and waited a response from the female knight. He almost missed the subtle reaction that his new slave did. She moved her head to the side, eyes firmly focused on the ground. _Guilty of something? Does she know something? I really lucked out with this one, didn't I?_

The hero waited with crossed arms, seeing Eclair's expression shift. The knight seemed to be battling against her pride or something like that. _Being proud is good and all, but too much of it is troublesome. She being level 39 is a huge help, but if she stays this loyal to the Queen, it could lead to trouble down the line._

"Iwatani-sama, I-...must refuse your offer. My duty is to my country; being a knight means that I must trust the judgement of those I swore myself to and-" Her long speech was interrupted by the hero. He immediately turned his back and motioned for the rest of his party to follow him.

"If you have the time to waste away in a cell, you're welcome to stay in here and rot." Naofumi's harsh tone made the knight recoil as if she had been lashed at. "Arrhhh, wasted too much time here, we could have reached the forrest by now and be leveling her up." The hero scratched his hair in annoyance. "If pride is all you have, stay here and wait until I finish your job, Knight. Are you all just fancy trinkets for the royalty?" Complaining more to himself in a loud voice, Naofumi exited the cell together with his party, leaving behind one stunned Eclair. _That's about what I should have expected of a knight belonging to this country, all talk, no action._

"Iwatani-sama, wait!" He heard Eclair call for him. Not that he cared anymore. At least he left her cell open. The hero absorbed the key he used to unlock her cell, and proceeded to exit the dungeon, the Knight's voice calling him once more.

* * *

"Naofumi-sama, shouldn't we have listened to her a bit more?" Raphtalia asked the hero. They were making their way to Ryute Village once more, the prospect of a more jobs and extra income all that Naofumi needed to remember. He shook his head sideways. They had also passed by Erhart's place and picked some basic adventurer's kit for the slave girl. She was still silent, not speaking any words and merely following her master.

"Raphtalia, we don't have time to be dilly-dalling and listening to every poor sob's story. If Eclair wants to be useless and let villagers die because she is too busy being all knight-of-honor, let her do so. Remember what I said before? We look out for us and our own first, then we help others. Stop to help a beggar in a city and you won't walk again." The hero said so, fixing his backpack. "The waves won't wait for us, we must get stronger. Eclair was going to be plus for sure, but what is lost is lost. Let's hope that what come out of these monster eggs will help us out."

The raccoon girl couldn't rebuke it. The silence they fell into as they walked was a bit unconfortable for her, so she opted to change the topics of their conversation. "Well, we can always train hard. Besides, we have...what is your name?" Raphtalia asked the slave girl.

"This one requires no name, degozaru. Shouldn't master be letting me carry his luggage?" Instead of a name, Raphtalia received a question. The girls turned their eyes to Naofumi, the hero walking ahead and carefully carrying out the incubator.

"You look like you can barely sustain yourself in place. Get stronger first, then you can think about carrying weight." His response made Raphtalia smile. Yeah, her master was sometimes scary, but he had kindness in his heart. No one would treat a slave like he does. "Besides, cut that _"This one need no name_" stick. You expect me to call you **Slave A** everytime I need something from you? Come on, spill out a name already. It doesn't has to be your real name, I don't care for your past and whatnot, even a nickname is okay. You're my slave now." Normally, such words would be harsh and ill seen, but for some reason the slave girl found those words somehow encouraging her.

"Shadow...call this one Shadow, degozaru."

"See, not so hard, Shadow." Naofumi continued his trekk, the girls following behind him.

"Shadow-san, don't mind Naofumi-sama. He sometimes says harsh words and can be petty and villanous, but he is a good person." The raccoon girl smiled at the newly dubbed Shadow. The brunette nodded, still expressionless. She eyed her own body, dressed in simple leather armor. She'd resemble a young Raphtalia, the only difference being that her clothing was more on dark blue shades. Shadow focused her eyes on her new master. The hero advanced with confidence, unburdened by his weighty backpack. She stealthly dropped the rosary she had hidden with her, a silver symbol of a Bow, a Sword and a Spear fused together in a circle. The church may believe in the Three Holy Heroes, but it seemed that she was saved by the Shield, the Devil. How ironic.

* * *

The Trio arrived in Ryute Village and immediately started working.

That is said in the most literal sense, seeing as when the trio approached the place, many villagers were around one bloody corpse. It seemed to be the corpse of the Chimera, the boss of the last wave. It had its three heads chopped off, but the body was still there. The villagers asked them help, Naofumi promptly lowering his backpack and grabbing a hacksaw to help break the body in more manageable parts. Many other monster corpses still littered some parts of the village, making Naofumi help the villagers with cleanup. _Those wankers think this is game? Of course corpses won't just dissapear! _There is no need to say that the hero was pissed off that day.

Raphtalia and Shadow went to help out in whatever they could, their first day since arriving in Ryute Village a busy one due to the ongoing reconstructions.

Naofumi was ever present in the village, helping with anything he could and receiving payment in any way the villagers could affort. Considering the village would need a great deal of money, the hero settled mostly with being taught some skills by the villagers and well as bartering any items with them for payment.

**[Carpenter's Shield Unlocked] [Blacksmith's Shield unlocked] [Tailor's Shield unlocked] [Lumerjack's Shield Unlocked] [Chimeric Viper Shield unlocked] [Chimeric Viper Bone Shield unlocked] [Chimeric Viper Hide Shield unlocked] [Craftsman's Shield unlocked] [Peddler's Shield unlocked] [Hammer Shield unlocked] [Saw Shield Unlocked] [Wood Shield unlocked] [Wood Saw Dust Shield unlocked] [Ash Shield Unlocked].**

Naofumi also took this time to learn how to read and write, together with Raphtalia. Their learning speed was faster due to Shadow, the brunette easily helping them in their endeavors to learn. She also was quick to level up, becoming a rather speedy individual.

Shadow opted to use daggers instead of swords, her quick and precise strikes easily debilitating any enemy they faced. She also seemed to be quite good with sneak attacks and traps. The girl was able to track down monsters with precision and even had some knowledge in dealing with poisons. The hero took advantage of her abilities as best as he could, training battle formations and tactics for hunting. Raphtalia sometimes complained when Shadow easily remembered some of the more complicated strategies Naofumi developed, now that their numbers allowed for more diverse planning.

Their fifteen days spent in the village were very productive.

* * *

Naofumi was awaking up due to someone shaking him. He had stayed late the night before, working on some grimores, and apparently he slept sitting on his chair. He massaged his stiff neck and opened his eyes, a yawn leaving his mouth.

"Naofumi-sama, one of the eggs! It's hatching!" Raphtalia exclaimed excitedly, shaking his right shoulder. Shadow just entered the room, carrying some breakfast on a plate. She had taken to wearing a hoaded cloak and even fashioned herself a mask, buying the necessary materials from the pocket money Naofumi gave her. She placed the tray on the table besides the grimores and books, and stood by his left side as Raphtalia stood by his right.

Cracks spread over the egg, a tiny white wing popping out of one of the cracks. More and more the cracks spread, and Naofumi could hear a chirping sound being emmited from the egg. And suddenly, all egg broke and revealed a white excited chick. It chirped and skipped in place, jumping and nestling in Naofumi's messy hair.

"A bit too excited, don't you think?" He complained, one hand ready to catch the chick in cause it fell from its place.

"Maybe it thinks you are its parent?" Raphtalia said excitedly.

"A Filorial. It is a good monster, Master." Shadow said, handing Naofumi his plate with breakfast.

The hero took the plate and took a bite, offering some of it to the chick on his head. It ate with vigor, happily chirping and singing at him. He picket the remains of egg shell and fed it to his shield. **[Monster Owner Shield I unlocked] [Monster Tamer Shield I unlocked].**

**Crack~**

The entire group snapped their attention to the noise source, the second egg also started cracking. The group closed in on the incubator, waiting for their new member.

Instead of exploding like the Filorial's egg, this one cracked once at the top, the shell casing moving apart to reveal what Naofumi could only call a snake. The reptile yawned, exposing her pink, fleshy insides and some pearly fangs and slowly slid off her egg, allowing the hero to see the greenish blue scales of the monster. It slowly curled around itself, Naofumi estimating its size to be only 10 cm. Its eyes focused on him, a purring-like sound escaping its throat before it slid its way to Naofumi. The hero extended his hand to the snake, the reptile curling and wrapping around his hand.

The Filorial chick started complaining and whining atop his head, the hero pating it with his other hand.

Raphtalia cooed, hands joined together and tail swishing.

Shadow looked apathetic, merely waiting to pass Naofumi his drink.

The hero once more fed his shield the egg scraps, his Shields becoming even better.

**[Monster Owner Shield ****II ****unlocked] [Monster Tamer Shield II unlocked].**

"Well, let's get going, we need to train." The hero equiped his [Monster Owner Shield II], a simple shield with the image of a black dragon wrapped around the gem, and stood up, both his monsters nuzzling into him. He checked their levels, happy to see their increase in ability.

**Naofumi Iwatani lv27.**

**Raphtalia lv31.**

**Shadow lv15.**

**Filorial lv1.**

**Snake lv1.**

* * *

**Author Notes:**

**Soo, I'm accepting species name and proper name for our new monster. Any ideas?**


	6. Knowing Better the Party

**AUTHOR NOTES.**

**Well, back at it again with another episode. Thanks for the support and the magnificent ideas. In the end, I went with Vongola Ninja's idea...for now. I won't spoil the surprises, so you will have to keep on reading. On the other hand, I have been reading some other stories in hopes of getting some inspiration, and I got a bunch of ideas cooking up in my head. I hope you'll be pleased when I write them down.**

**I have not dropped my other stories, so if any of you read the other stories I have up to now, I will continue them for sure. I'm merely focusing on Shield Hero, since it was one of the first novels I read back on the days when light novels weren't all the boom they are now. I loved the tone, the story, the weapon system, Naofumi himself as a character.**

**Let me stop my ramblings, you all came here for the new release. Enjoy! Ryujin Maou (Draconic/Dragon Demon Lord) out!**

* * *

Naofumi let the Dread Wolf bounce off his shield, knocking the creature upwards, something shooting off from the hero and hitting the wolf with a cracking blow. The lupine creature fell onto the ground like a bag of bricks, whimpering and whining. It tried to stand up and flee, but it suddenly started foaming from the mouth. The wolf trashed around for a few seconds before dropping dead on the ground, legs twitching lightly.

"Color me surprised." Naofumi declared, nursing the chick nestled atop his head. He kneeled on the ground and extended his hand at the wolf's corpse, something slithering away from it, seemingly invisible. One needed to look extra hard to spot the creature that was moving towards the hero. As it approached the Shield Hero, it made a soft hissing noise and slowly rose on his arm, wrapping itself on his arm like a long bracelet.

"You guys are leveling up quite fast, but aren't you growing a bit too quick?" He asked to no one in particular. Raphtalia chuckled and started working on skinning the spoil. Shadow apparently wasn't present, which meant she was either scouting ahead or checking her traps. The hero grabbed the chick nestled over his head, her size had grown from being able to fit inside his hand to basketball-size in less than a day.

Naofumi could hear strange sounds coming from the body of the filorial chick. The _"baki baki~"_ sounds resembled bones creaking or breaking, making the Shield Hero somewhat worried about the chick. She seemed fine enough, happily chirping and hunting down anything she could lay her eyes upon.

She wasn't the only one with an absurd growth rate. The snake monster also had molted her skin at least five times since they had started hunting, all the skins being feed to his shield. She also had a weird, stubby protuberance growing close to her head. She had grown from her small 10 centimeters to a good 65 centimeters, and had thickened and bulked a fair bit. Naofumi was no expert in snakes, but he could say that this sort of growth was definitely abnormal.

The two monsters had bickered a couple of times, but all were settled when he lightly rose his voice, no slave crest punishment needed.

They had both reached Lv 15, their stats quite strong. Shadow herself had risen to Lv25 while he and Raphtalia stayed in their previous level.

The sun was lowering in the horizon, the forest around Ryute Village becoming darker. The hero nodded to himself, content with the gains of the day. He whistled loudly, the filorial chick chirping together with him, and waited for a couple of seconds. Suddenly, the leaves of the trees close to him shook and a low whistle was emitted. Naofumi whistled sharply and spoke loudly.

"The Shield gathers the attention so that the Shadow can do its work." At this, a cloaked individual dropped from its perch atop the trees, spinning midair and falling in a kneeled position.

"Master." Shadow said. Naofumi nodded and she presented to him a bag full of items, from herbs and grasses to mushrooms and fruits. "I acquired the items necessary for your crafts while I was scouting ahead. Please, have them."

"Thanks, Shadow. Rest easy, we we'll go back to the village." The hero took the offered bag and draped it over his shoulder. The filorial chick tried to sneak a peek into the bag, but the snake slithered her way around Naofumi's arm up to his neck, where she softly wrapped herself and hissed at the chick. The two monster started bickering once more, this time Naofumi let their little argument continue as he was amused by it.

Raphtalia ended her job and approached him, her skinned fur folded and the wolf's carcass tied to a tree, blood flowing from the cut at its neck. Shadow merely fell behind Naofumi, walking three steps behind him, while Raphtalia approached and walked by his side. They waited until blood stopped pouring from the wolf's neck, and then quickly cut it in manageable pieces.

The group made their way to the village and to the inn they were staying, many villagers waving their hands or sending their greetings at the party.

Inside the inn, the place being one of the few who was unharmed in the last wave, the group met the owner, a plump lady taking care of other patrons. The woman smiled and went to meet the group.

"Here you go, Manager-san." Raphtalia offered the woman the folded skin, inside it many cuts of monster meat. The woman took the skin, thanked the party and quickly headed to the kitchen. The few patrons inside thanked the party, many lifting their tankards in the air as a form of thanks.

Since the wave, efforts inside the village were focused on rebuilding whatever was destroyed, which meant that the few hunters the place had were busy helping the carpenters, which meant that the people were mostly using vegetables and grains as the base of their meals, meat only being added in small strips to add some taste and make their stock of preserved meat last longer.

Naofumi proposed to this particular inn where he was staying at a sweet deal. They would let him stay for a discount, and he would provide fresh meat from edible monsters and some help in their reparations. Of course, his business took higher place, but as soon as he finished his work, he would focus his efforts into helping the villagers.

So far the villagers loves the deal, and even asked if he needed anything, which they would provide for him as long as it wasn't too troublesome.

Naofumi made his way towards his room, letting Raphtalia and Shadow have free time, considering the day's activities were done. His room was close to the barns, which were close to one of the villager's water wells. The hero entered his room and immediately went to his workbench, where a great deal of books, grimores and parchments were laid out. Recipes for his potions, blueprints for simple wooden furniture, instructions for tailoring clothes, the hero had many projects he was working on.

He coughed, gathering the attention of his monsters. The two bickering creatures stopped their arguments and nuzzled into him, trying to get his affection; the hero ignoring their pleading coos and removed them from his body. The filorial chick was placed on the ground while the snakeling was put on a corner of the workbench.

"Now that I think about it, I need to name you guys, don't I?" He said, eyeing his monsters. He checked the menu and the shields he ended unlocking when he feed their discarted parts, such as loose feathers and molted skin, to his shield gem.

**[Filorial Feather Shield unlocked] [Molted Hydra Skin Shield unlocked]**

_Filorial and Hydra, huh?_ What could be a good name for them? Naofumi once more looked at the menu. Besides their names a cross-like shape with a circle at the top was present, signaling that both were females. He pondered for a while, taking the time to also get started in his medicines. _Filorial and Hydra, Filorial and Hydra...Firo and...Hilda? Hidera? Hydras were present in Greek mythology back in Earth, so...Ahh, fuck it, if I separate the romaji it becomes Hy-De-Ra, so how about Dera? Ahh, good enough. Firo and Dera._

_**Monster A (Filorial) has been named Firo. Monster B (Hydra Snakeling) has been named Dera.**_

"Well, your names are now Firo," Naofumi said, pointing to the filorial chick. His hand then shifted and pointed to the Snakeling. "And you shall be Dera." Naofumi then nodded to himself, crossing his arms and patting himself in the back for a well-done job.

Firo chirped with vigor, jumping and nestling herself in his lap, Dera slithering and nuzzling onto his left hand. He patted Firo with his right, stroking Dera softly with his left. The hero noticed that the nub beside Dera's head had stopped growing, but the stub worried the hero.

***Knock Knock***

"Enter." Shadow entered after his command, carrying a tray with food. Firo looked at his meal with hungry eyes, her stomach loudly proclaiming her hunger; Dera, on the other hand, merely took the chance to slither and coil her body around the hero's extended left hand. She tried to slip inside his clothes to warm herself further, but the hero grabbed her slender body and once more placed her on the edge of his workbench.

"Your meal, master." Shadow offered, making sure to not allow Firo to jump into the tray and eat the hero's food. The filorial chick glared at the rogue-like Shadow, the girl merely ignoring the stare in favor of waiting further orders.

"Thanks for bringing it, Shadow." Naofumi thanked her and took a hold of the tray. He cleaned a space on the workbench and placed the tray, taking his spoon and tasting the soup she had brought. It has more flavor than what we ate for lunch. I should get some cooking utensils for when we are in the field. He lightly tapped the spoon over Firo's head, the filorial thinking she could stealthly take some for herself. "I'll feed you, let me eat my food first. Damn gluton." He mumbled.

The hero took a few more spoons before another hungry noise echoed in the room, this time the sound caming from Dera. The snake looked at Naofumi with pleading eyes; the hero becoming surprised by how well she could do the puppy eyes. He sighed, almost standing up from his chair.

"Master, worry not, degozaru. This Shadow shall take the little ones to the forest for another meal. Worry only about finishing your meal, degozaru!" Shadow extended her hands for the monsters, both ignoring her and looking away from her extended hands. Shadow stayed with her hands like that, waiting for the hungry monsters to leave the hero's side. She expected them to leave immediately at the prospect of eating plenty, but they seemed determined to stay with him. The snakeling went so far as to hiss at her.

"You sure? I can just eat later." The hero said, looking at the girl. She stayed impassive, shaking her head sideways in a negative way.

"Master should prioritize himself. Master has been carrying most of our gear and is the foundation of our plans, considering you tank and distract the enemies. Keeping yourself healthy and strong is a must for your oncoming progress in fighting the waves. Thou should avoid spoiling the little ones too much, else they might become rebelious. Best to teach them early and avoid trouble." Naofumi had to agree with Shadow's proposition. Firo and Dera whined and hissed at Shadow.

"You're right. Firo and Dera, go with Shadow. When you come back, you're going to the stables to rest." The two monsters tried to complain and whine, but Naofumi narrowed his eyes at them. "Ohh, you are crying? Instead of obeying me, you two are crying?" His serious voice reached the two monsters and they lowered their heads. Shadow took the cue and slowly took Firo and Dera, taking them out to eat. When she was at the door, she bowed to Naofumi and exited his room.

The hero stretched his arms up a bit and returned his focus on his meal. Or so he would like to say, yet he was eyeing a blueprint on the construction of a wagon while he ate. He asked for the local carpenters to make a blueprint on how to make wagons, the woodworkers gladly helping the Shield Hero on his endeavor.

_The frame seems sturdy enough, but with the wheels being made of wood and the connecting frame being so hard, it seems like it won't absorb much impact. Riding a wagon seems like it will be a literal pain in the butt. Shall I try my hand at blacksmithing? No, not enough time for me to make something resembling suspention and shock absorvers. Should I order Elhart to make me them? Ryute Village had decent enough blacksmiths, but this type of work required trial and error, currently something that the people here could not afford._

_Traveling faster and farther to sell my merchandise is a must, considering we need to find higher-level monsters and new loot for my shield. Those three idiots don't seem interested in helping around as they seem interested in gaining fame, so counting on them for helping evacuate civilians during the waves is retarded._

_I need to get a better map and scout the land. If we map out the country, we will have a better insight on the busier roads and the best merchant cities. Port cities are a must, considering the exportation and importation of foreign goods...Foreign goods...! Fuck! I'm really fucking dumb! Other nations! Of course not everyone will live on one nation, social cultures and ethnical differences will be a major point._

The hero face palmed ans sighed. He quickly finished his meal and settled the dish aside, crossed his arms, eyes closed as he focused on thinking. A few seconds later, he searched his table for a new parchment. Finding one in which he hadn't written anything in yet, the hero took his writing quill and dipped the tip on the ink vial closeby. He wrote his recent plans and ideas on it. The main topics were money, road routes and troops.

The hero wrote under the topics various options, excluding or adding in accord with his current funds and skills. He didn't notice when Raphtalia or Shadow entered the room, nor when did the moon get so high in the sky.

He used up all the parchment, many ideas he was eager to put into practice. He stretched once more and rose from his seat. Carefully exiting the room to not awake his sleeping companions, Naofumi tip-toed his way out of the inn too. He walked to the border of Ryute Village, close to the place where the Three Heroes had defeated the Chimera.

_Time to test out a few things too. I hadn't had the time to check this shield. I need to know what I can and cannot use. This sounded a bit dangerous so I avoided it up to now, but considering our options, we need to have a trump card._

Naofumi released a sigh.

"**[Shield of Anger (Wrath Shield I)]!**" The hero put his hand atop his shield, the weapon changing to reveal a black shield with many red, flame-shaped marks all over it. Instantly, many thoughts invaded the hero's mind, none pleasant. Naofumi grunted as dark emotions took a hold of his mind. The hero feel to his knees, dark thoughts washing over him in waves.

_Hate them._

_Destroy them._

_Curse their existence._

_They took from you, take from them too._

_Show them the power of your curse. Show them the wrathful flame that is inside your heart._

A sinister sneer contorted the hero's lips. He felt powerful. He opened his left hand, a flame spawning from his palm, reddish-black in color.

_This is power. No need for weapons; they're weak before this cursed flame. With this, I can-_

**_No!_**

Naofumi grunted, shaking his head. The hero felt the dark voice in his head, whispering words to him. More terrifying was the fact that it wasn't some monster or alien thing, it was his own voice. Yet...

The hero looked at his shield. The gem, originally emerald green in color, now was a deep red. The hero felt his heart thumping fast against his chest; he looked around him. The ground around him had been charred, ugly blackish-purple scorched marks dirtied the forest ground. It seemed luck was on his side, as the cursed flame didn't spread far.

Naofumi looked at his open left palm, still holding the cursed flame. It would be so easy for him to give up and let his rage take control. The flame was begging to be released, the physical manifestation of his hatred for those who betrayed him eager to please his desire for destruction. However...

_This rage is mine and mine alone! It doesn't control me, I control it. Yeah, it's true that I hate these people, but I won't hand over my mind this easily!_

"You want to take me mind? You better try harder!" THe hero shouted at the red gem of his shield, eyes blazing with willpower. The hero once more looked at his left hand, the cursed flame stopped flickering and became stable, no longer enticing him onwards destruction. _My rage is not a mindless beast! This rage of mine, you better obey me. I created you, I can destroy it!_ The hero lifted his left hand, holding the flame towards the gem. "You want to burn something so bad? How about I burn you?"

Before the cursed flame could touch the gem, it flickered out. Naofumi sucked in air loudly, not remembering when he had held in his breath. After panting for a few seconds, the hero slowly lifted himself from the ground.

He looked over his shield, **[Shield of Anger (Wrath Shield I)]** still active. Nothing major had happened, but the hero could feel that the dark and malicious thoughts from before stopped pestering him. He could still sense it, something dark in the deepest corners of his mind, just waiting for him to falter. It settled down.

_**F**or n**o**w..._

He released a sigh, surprised by such explosive power and emotions. One thing was clear though. The Shield, and most likely the other three weapons too, responded to the emotions of their user. It granted Naofumi the skill tree he had ignored up to now, the **[Curse Series]**, right after he felt enraged by the bullshit pulled over him when he was in the Castle Town.

He looked over the unlocked skill tree branch, the [Sin of Wrath series], and viewed the only unlocked shield he had.

**[Shield of Anger (Wrath Shield I)]**

**-Increase in Attack +50; Increase in defense +150**

**+Passive skill: [Self-Imolation Curse] [Physical Strenght up (medium)]**

**+Bonus skill: [Ir*n M #*n] [Dragon Roar]**

**True Power: Sealed**

_No wonder I felt so powerful. This could have gone really bad, couldn't it?_ Naofumi bitterly thought, clenching and releasing his right fist a couple of times._ I better get back and get some sleep._

The hero walked back to his room, never realising that high on the treetops, one hooded figure observed him.

"It was foolish of them, trying to antagonize Master. Thanks to Master, I have regained my former strength and even more. Now, what do I do with the bodies?" The hooded figure spoke to itself, looking over the bodies of other two, equally hooded individuals. The only difference between them was that on the bodies of the dead hooded figures, a slight glimmer could be seen at neck heigth, where a rosary was worn.

* * *

**Early morning**

**Ryute Village**

"I'm not dreaming, right?" The Shield Hero asked no one in particular, straining his neck to look up.

He was in the inn's stable, looking over what was supposed to be Firo. Insted of finding the fat filorial chick, he found an enourmous chocobo-like creature looking over him. So far he had not set sight on Dera, the Hydra snakeling was supposed to be at the barn together with the filorial.

"You didn't eat Dera, did you Firo?" Naofumi seriously asked, Firo looking sideways at him. His answer came a few seconds later, something thick wrapping around his left leg and climbing his body. The Japanese considered himself in good shape, considering he carried a good amount of weight every day, but this moment he almost buckled under the weight. He looked at the source of it, the scaled face of Dera greeted him, forked tongue flickering at him to taste the air. So far, so normal.

What was bizzare was the second head that was nuzzling into his chest. Naofumi looked at the first head, waiting at face height to be patted, while the second was clinging to his chest.

"I swear I slept yesterday." The hero mumbled, closing his eyes and massaging the bridge of his nose. He opened his eyes again. "Nope, still seeing doble. Guess I went insane after all."

"Gueeh!" Firo complained loudly, bringing her long neck closer to Naofumi, also waiting to receive headpats. Her eyes were angrily staring at Dera's two heads, promissing agression to the Hydra for trying to hog all the headpats. The snake responded in kind, one head ignoring the filorial in favor of continually cuddling with Naofumi while the other opened with a hiss, revealing sharp fangs and a purple, obviously dangerous goo.

Firo huffed, sharp beak also ready to rend scales.

***Smack Smack***

Naofumi hand-chopped both Firo and the agressive head belonging to Dera. He moved his right arm under said head, tears gathering around the snakes' eyes. "On the shield." Dera opened her maw and tilted her head, letting the entirety of the poison accumulated in her mouth drop atop Naofumi's shield. The gem absorbed it easily, unlocking another skill tree for the hero. "Good girl." He patted the second head, Dera releasing a cooing-like noise.

"GUEHHH, gueehh, guueehhhhhh!" Firo almost screeched. Naofumi almost chopped at her again, but settled with patting her head too. She also cooed, eyes closing in pleasure. She opened her eyes and gazed at Dera, finding all the snakes' four eyes looking at her with smug, seeing as she was both nuzzling and receiving headpats from Naofumi.

They exchanged glares, electricity flowing between their stares.

***Smack Smack***

* * *

"Aren't you quick on your feet, huh?" Naofumi said, receiving back a stick he threw far from Firo. He patted her head, also looking for Dera. The two headed snake was currently sun-bathing. She had grown to just about one meter in length, and reminded Naofumi too much of Earth's Constrictor Boas.

Dera had backwards-facing fangs and could produce poison, but a quick peek at her mouth had revealed that she didn't have the hipodermic needle-like fangs that poisonous snakes had, and thus her apparent method of poisoning enemies would be biting prey and letting accumulated poison flow into the wound by itself.

Naofumi cocked his arm back and prepared to throw the stick one more time. "Come on Firo, one more time!" THe hero had a relaxed expression.

"Naofumi-sama hasn't shown such a refreshed smile before..." Raphtalia stared at the trio having fun from the corner of the inn. she had just woken up and found herself alone inside the inn room. Shadow always was gone before anyone realized so Raphtalia was accustomed to seeing the Hero either working on a project or reading through a grimore.

The hero heard the raccoon girl's whisper and turned to hear. "Hey there, Raphtalia! Finally out of the bed, huh?" He lightly teased.

"You rose from bed very early, Naofumi-sama..." The girl was still yawning as she approached the hero.

"Yeah, I came to check on Firo and Dera, but I found these two this big." He looked at the two monsters. While he could still carry Dera, Firo was definitively out of the equation.

"Firo? Dera?" Raphtalia was confused, but the Shield Hero pointed to his monsters.

"It would be akward and difficult to keep on calling them _monster A_ and _monster B_." Naofumi explained. a low, groaning noise left the stomach of the filorial; Firo tilting her head sideways, Naofumi searched for Dera, but the Hydra had moved to lay under the shade of a tree, a noticiable bulge on her body. "They certainly remind me of a certain someone." While he didn't say any names, Raphtalia found the need to defend herself.

"My growth rate is perfectly normal!" Naofumi ignored her words.

The group would stay in their place and continue their activities, but Shadow suddenly appeared in front of Naofumi, her breath out of order and her clothes a bit messy.

"What has happened, Shadow? Here, have some water!" Naofumi went to her aid, Raphtalia following right behind him. Shadow took a few moments to stabilize her breathing and drink the offered drink, the rogue-like woman spoke out.

"Master, I recomend we vacate the premises. Let's get our belongings and set our course to another city, degozaru." The normally cool and calculated girl was rushing and worried, even forgeting to fix her mask in place. Naofumi narrowed his eyes and approached the girl, raising both hands to her face. He fixed her mask in place and patted her head over the hood of her cloak.

"I don't know what got you like this, but I assure you that we can handle whatever it is, Shadow." The hero reassured the girl. Now that he noticed, he couldn't see any villager nearby, working on something. He managed to see a great deal of people going to what could the called the city's center. He made his way over there slowly, Raphtalia by his side and Shadow dissapearing again. Firo followed the duo, Dera also slithering her way closer to Naofumi. The two headed Hydra took the chance that the villagers were distracted and coiled against Naofumi's hip, just like some sort of expensive leather belt, her two heads hidden under his cloak. He touched one of the villagers on the shoulder and asked what this reunion could be all about.

The villager, a common farmer, leaned against his hoe and commented. "Apparently, something has happenedand and the City Lord is going to be changed."

Naofumi eyed the confused people gathered here, managing to spot some knights from Melromark. All his good humor from the morning went down as he spotted a blonde man with his hair tied in a ponytail and carrying a spear, accompanied by a group of women, which the leader was a certain red haired cunt.

"I am Kitamura Motoyasu, the Spear Hero. By royal decree, I'm officially your new lord! Nice to meet all of you." The dumb, spear totting idiot known as Motoyasu was proudly declaring his status to the people as if it was God's graceful gift to this place. It made Naofumi want to vomit.

The Shield Hero immediately turned around and started walking away. _Fuck this shit, I'm out!_ Naofumi made a hand signal to the air, and called Raphtalia. The group almost exited the place when-

"Na-naofumi!?" Motoyasu had spotted them from his mighty perch, making Naofumi groan in defeat. Out ot the crowd and surrounded by knights came out Malty. The red haired cunt smuggly smirked their way and presented a scroll towards them.

"Motoyasu-sama was recognized by the king himself for his services, so this land now belongs to him." Not that Naofumi was bothering with useless information. "A criminal such as yourself shouldn't be roaming our streets, so would you kindly leave?" Now that got his blood on simmering mood._ This bitch came here to waste my fucking time...and this damn air-head that thinks with his dick instead of his head...Ahh, fuck, you lucked out I tested the **[Shield of Anger (Wrath Shield I)] **yesterday. What kind of recognition does this fucking wanker deserves after he didn't move a single finger to help this village._

"Now, please hold on." The current lord presented himself. He was an old man that put on the wise-type air, his head still full of hair, but all of it was grayish-white. "Pardon me, Spear Heo-sama, but I have not been informed of this circunstance..." The elder would have continued, but Malty interrupted him by once more lifting the scroll in her hands.

"I just told you that you're fired. This is a royal decree, are you against it?" Malty's intimidation worked, seeing the elder flinch and look desolated. "In first place, we are establishing a new tax rate of 50 silver coins for entering the village and 50 silver coins for leaving it." Not a full second after the words left Malty's mouth, the crowd of villagers exploded in complaints and dissatisfaction at the absurd order.

"One gold coin?! Are you mad?"

"There is no way we can survive paying such absurd taxes! Do you want to run me out of my business?!"

Many complaints like these spread light wildfire over dried grass among the crowd. Motoyasu, still comfortable on his seat atop a dragon-like creature, scoffed and loudly spoke. "It's necessary for reconstructing the village after all, why are you all making such a fuss?"

Among the noise and complaints, someone suddenly burst out laughing. Silence paired over the crowd as confusion painted the faces of the people, wondering who would laugh in such a situation. All eyes searched for the source and they found Naofumi; the hero laughing his ass off.

"W-what is so funny?" Motoyasu was taken aback and asked the Shield Bearer.

"Hahahahahahah, ohhh, you almost got me with that one, Motoyasu! If being a hero doesn't end up working out, why don't you try becoming a comediant or a bard? You sure love spouting bullshit out of your mouth!" Naofumi declared, making many be taken aback by the sudden low words. "One gold coin might not seem much for the oh so great Spear Hero, who receives privileges from the crown, but the common villager lives on about twenty copper coins a day, earned from his hard work and many hours of heavy labor. You really think that jacking up taxes like that would help out the village? How can they eat, if they are too busy working to pay such absurd tax rates? Will you bleed them dry for the sake of reconstructing something that they are already working on? How about you spend a day here, with us mortals, before you pass your almighty jugdement, your holiness?!"

No word left the Spear Hero. The people suddenly shifted in favor of the Shield Hero's point of view, many declaring their support for his actions that would greatly support the village.

_Besides, jacking up taxe rates like this will create misery and monopolies of power. That is already being generous, since it could also cause damage on the reputation of the royalty, even a insurection of people. The last thing we need is a civil war on our hands, Motoyasu, you fucking idiot! How about you and this cunt don't bring one right into our laps?_

_"_But hey, what do I know, right? I just a criminal. You go ahead and do whatever you want, not like it's my business." Naofumi scoffed and turned to leave the premise. Malty looked at him with superiority.

"Painful reforms are necessary for the good of the people." She pressed on, pressuring Motoyasu to go along with her. _Go ahead and cause an insurrection of the people against the crown, I'll sweep up the gold from your valts when the people are busy chopping off your heads. Never heard of the French Revolution, Motoyasu?_

Malty crossed her arms and tried to look important. Naofumi almost left the place, but his ears picked on a distinct noise. High speed shuffling, akin to Shadow's. Suddenly, a group of five individuals, dressed almost identically as Shadow surrounded the princess. Like a instant charm, color drained from Malty's face, the supposed leader of the group approaching the redhead with a fancy scroll.

"Princess, we are here on orders of a certain master. This one is assured that you know of who we speak about, degozaruka." Naofumi narrowed his eyes at the group. There was only one person whom he knew that spoke like that. He waited paciently, watching Malty's face warp from overconfidence to overwhelming fear in the span of a few seconds. Her hands trembled as she held the scroll, eyes shaking with shame, of all things.

"T-this can't be!" The redhead crumbled the scroll in her hands and pointed her finger at him "Shield Hero, we challenge you! We winner gets to decide the ate off this village!"

"Ahh? Are you retarder?" Naofumi flipped the bird to the redhead, the gesture making Motoyasu shout at the Shield. The expectators didn't know the gesture, many assuming it to be some sort of offensive thing from the heroes' worlds.

* * *

Around the village's main gate, many villagers gathered around to see the challenge. Motoyasu and his troupe were on one side, while Naofumi and his group were on the other. The village elder and many other recognizable figures from the village were surrounding the Shield Hero, begging him to participate in the race.

"This will be a race between our racing dragon and the criminal shield's bird! The first to finish three laps around the village wins the challenge!" Malty shouted to everyone. On the road, where the mounts wer staying at, the Spear Hero's dragon stared at Firo with a fierce gaze, to which the filorial also responded.

"Shield Lord, please save our village." The elder pleaded.

"Why do I need to do that? Look, I like the village and you all were very good to me and my party, but I believed I already worked hard enough to compensate any debts. Besides, I don't get anything from facing that retarded idiot and his stupid dragon." Naofumi stated his part. _I wanted this place as a temporary base, but fuck, that idiot..._

Naofumi's thoughts were interrupted as Motoyasu approached Firo. The Spear hero patted the filorial on her side a few times and laughed.

"It's not even a pure breed, the colors are all mixed up! Between my dragon and this dumb bir-" The blonde was cut shorp by the powerful kick delivered by Firo, leg strong legs hitting the Spear right in his crouch and launching him a good five meters up in the air, before he fell down like a bag of bricks.

"Motoyasu-sama!"

"Na-naofumi-sama, Firo just...just..." Raphtalia panicked a bit. She tried to get her master's attention, but stopped when she saw the malicious grin slip Naofumi's face from ear to ear!

"FUCK YEAH, now we are thinking with portals! Come on, I accept this retarded race!" Naofumi quickly jumped on top of Firo. She cooed happily and nuzzled into him, while the knights dragged Motoyasu over to his dragon mount. Raphtalia sighed at the childish sight in front of her.

"Naofumi-sama, please don't teach Firo such a troublemaking behavior!" The raccoon girl approached the fierce filorial while she sighed. Patting the chest of the tall bird, she exhaled. "I don't appreciate Spear Hero-sama, but..."

"Nah, fuck, that was good! Every coin I paid on Firo was worth for that very moment! I feel refreshed now, like I can win ten races. That prick deserved it and more!" Naofumi declared, patting Firo. He guided his mount to the starting line, Motoyasu slowly coming over with a pale expression.

The village elder rose his hand, "The first to finish three laps around the village will win! On your marks...Begin!" The elder lowered his hand and the two heroes shot forward.

**(first reconmendation of music to listen while you read this part. Try listening to Gas Gas Gas)**

_***WHOoooooshhhhhHHH***_

_WOW! Firo is fucking fast!_

The filorial immediately had a head advantage over the Spear hero, her long legs quickly striding and pushing the ground bellow her to her advantage. Motoyasu looked worried, his dragon not capable of following the explosive speed that the filorial had over him. At the sidelines, Raphtalia cheered on Naofumi, together with many villagers, complimenting Firo on her speed.

Malty clicked her tongue and shifted closer to a knight, whispering in his ears something. Both smirked.

Naofumi, on his part, was focusing on better positioning himself as to help Firo with aerodynamics. They were running quite far and their advantage over Motoyasu was almost enough that they were close to losing sight of the hero. Their speed, however, was cut short when Firo suddenly lost balance and they fell on the ground, sprawling and getting dragged a bit due to their momentum.

"What the fuck was that?" Naofumi complained, standing up and checking over Firo. He found that the reason she fell was a sudden hole on the road, too symetric to be natural. A knight was looking at the hero and laughed. Naofumi clenched his fist and ground his teeth. _Prick, you want to associate yourself with them and play dirty? Two can play that game._

Motoyasu passed them on his dragon, smug written all over his face. "What a chance this is!"

_Chance?! Your fucking Bitch is commanding these asswipes to blatantly cheat and you think this is normal? _Firo stood up and Naofumi once more jumped on her back. They passed slowly over the guard, but first Naofumi changed his shield into **[Chimeric Viper Shield]** and pointed his weapon at the guard. One of the skills of this shield, besides the passive poison resistance was,** [Venom bite]** counterattack. The apparently decorative snake-shaped handle at the corner of the shield suddenly gained life and extended from the shield, sinking its fangs on the knight's arm. It broke through the surcoat and chainmail protecting him and bit the man, whom let out a surprised yelp.

"Enjoy your remaining thirty-minutes, the poison works fast!" Naofumi said, once more fixing his position to allow Firo to speed up. The knight looked over the bitten area, the veins instantly turning a shade of purple as he felt something cold flow through them. He immediately paled.

_Let's see you fuckers try that shit again_. Naofumi released one hand from its hold on Firo and rose it on the air, signaling at something. No one on the road understood, not even Raphtalia got the meaning. Naofumi had trained with them a few hand signals in case they couldn't speak or needed to relay hidden information. Raphtalia wasn't bad at remembering the hand signals, but Shadow was superb at them. The raccoon girl realized that her master must have found something amiss on the race. She directed her gaze at Princess Malty, the redhead talking with other knights, their voices but a mere whisper.

The two racing heroes were approaching the village gates for their first lap, Naofumi managing to catch up to Motoyasu, their speedy approach leaving behind large dust clouds. The masked group silently watching the heroes approach to complete their lap.

"..._**t**hy prin**cip**les...slo**w** do**w**n the ene**m**..._"

Raphtalia managed to hear one of the most discreet knights say something, a magic chant if the formal speech was anything to go by. She touched the handle of her blade, ready to draw it and render the cheater armless. She didn't have to do anything; a hooded figure droped right atop the knight, making him fall on the ground and scare the nearby watchers. Shadow was stepping on the man's extended hand, her leather boot harshly grinding the knight's hand against the ground while she had her daggers out and positioned over on his neck, drawing a thin line of blood from the now scared man.

"Go ahead and chant your magic, knight. Loud and clear, please, so that all the watchers can hear it. This one thinks that such a rare oportunity to see magic should be shared among everyone." The man was wide eyed, sweat pouring from his brow as many eyes stared at him in confusion. The shady group looked intensily at Shadow, making Raphtalia approach her and touch her on the shoulder. "Raphtalia-san."

"Shadow-san." The raccoon girl greeted the rogue-like Shadow, making the other hooded group stop their staring and focus on the passing heroes, Naofumi once more taking the lead and making Malty look pissed off.

The princess crossed her arms and bit on one of her nails, worry starting to show on her face. sweat also started showing on her brow, the shady group intensily focusing their stares at her. She pretended to not be affected by the group and glared at the knights. They almost went into panic and one took the chance to cast some magic on the Spear Hero. He suddenly accelerated, but still wasn't able to catch up completely to Naofumi and Firo.

Naofumi patted Firo on her sides to get her attention. "Looks like some cheat of theirs got interrupted! Let's take the chance and finish this in one push!" Firo nodded to Naofumi's words and seemed to get herself pumped up. She angrily stared at the road in front of her and made sure to put much more strenght on her legs.

* * *

The village elder stared worringly at the road, waiting for who would appear from the horizon. At his side, the Shield Hero's and the Spear Hero's companions also waited with bated breaths. The shady individuals that arrived also seemed to be focusing, their judging stares jumping between the road and the first princess.

***THUMP THUMP THUMP***

"Uh, what is this noise?" The elder asked to no one in particular. All eyes turned to the direction of the noise, waiting for the source. Dirt clouds were raised as something started approaching the village at an insane pace.

***THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP***

Raphtalia's ears perked up and she smiled. Shadow gave a barely visible nod.

From the dirt cloud, exited Naofumi and Firo. The duo seemed like a rider coming out of hell, Firo cracking the ground with each step she took, her speed raising absurdly and making many villagers cheer. Motoyasu was behind the hero, his dragon already showing signs of tiredness.

Malty's glare at the soldiers made them sweat like crazy. One of the bolder knights distanced himself and started chanting, more afraid of retaliation from the princess than the Shield Demon's. "_As the source of thy power, I command thee, earth. Crumble, soften and make a pit to suck in my enemies. **First** hole_!"

Naofumi was fully focused on the path ahead of him, and as such, he widened his eyes in surprise as a hole suddenly appeared on the road, large enough to engulf Firo and make sure that he would have trouble climbing out in time to win the race. Naofumi's eyes narrowed in anger, but he still directed Firo in a straight line. They appoached the earthen hole, Naofumi holding his shield out in front of him. _Three, two, one...NOW!_

_"_**Air Strike Shield!**" Atop the hole a magically constructed shield emerged, serving as a stepping platform for the hero and his mount. As they passed the cheating obstacle with ease, Naofumi dispersed the magic shield. He was so focused on the race that he didn't notice something moving on his hips. Suddenly, the hero's cape flipped and a two-headed snake showed her two furious faces at the approaching Spear Hero. The Hydra breathed deeply, a foul gunk accumulating inside her mouths, suddenly being spit out as a large, purple cloud. Motoyasu yelped loudly at the sight of the cloud, but didn't stop his charging ride.

Malty's face paled as Naofumi passed by her like furious thunder, Motoyasu screaming for help as he had fallen inside the trap laid for the Shield. Iwatani passed the demarked finishing line with a sharp smile, Firo also showing a fierce expression.

**(End of Gas Gas Gas)**

* * *

The shady group surrounded the hole where the Spear Hero had fallen, Malty sweating bullets as she tried to nurse Motoyasu. He had a pale complexion, leftover vomit on the corner of his mouth.

"This hole is the major proof of your cheating, First Princess! According to the challenge's rules, the lord of Ryute Village shall remain the same." The leader of the cloaked group said to Malty, the others already pushing her and Motoyasu's party away to follow them. The redhead was kicking and screaming, refusing to accept her defeat.

One of the cloaked individuals left the group and came towards Naofumi and his party, making the hero look at her with a scowling expression. To add to the factor, Dera had uncoiled herself from Naofumi's waist and was wrapping over his chest and shoulders, her two heads resting atop the Shield hero's messy hair. Her slit eyes focused on the approaching individual, making the cloaked individual approach slowly.

"What?" Annoyance was clear on Naofumi's voice.

"This lowly individual must ask forgiveness for such boldness, but is it possible for the gracious Shield Hero to forgive this one's selfishness and answer but one question, degorasuka?" The hooded person kneeled in front of the hero, the villagers just waiting its departure to thank the hero.

"What do you want?" Naofumi asked, feeling Shadow shift and move to stay behind him. He normally wouldn't say anything, but he felt a light tugging on his cloak. From the corner of his eyes, he managed to catch Shadow grasping at a tiny portion of his cloak. The hero increased his glare over the individual kneeled in front of him.

"This lowly self's request is for the gracious Shield Hero to please, release the human slave on your party. This one's leader has some questions that are of extreme importance." The hooded individual rose her masked face, hoping to catch a glimpse of mercy on the Shield's eyes. It was a bad mistake.

Naofumi's eyes looked normal to those far from him, but to this cloaked person, her mistake in coming so close to the shield, one thing was certain. There would be no mercy for her if she dared to speak such words again. His black pupils were promising dark, unspeakable pain, the likes which her torture resistance training could never prepare her for. There was a tiny flame inside his pupils, a dark flame that merged with his pupils and was crazy in its urge to burn at her body and her very soul.

The cloaked individual suddenly found herself be helped up by her captain. She realized that her hands were trembling and cold sweat ran down her spine. She heard gasping noises and to her surprise, found out that they were her own, her mouth opening to try and bring more oxygen to her deprived lungs.

"Shield Hero-sama, this lowly one begs forgiveness for this foolish subordinate's harsh words. We shall take our leave, with your permition, of course, Desuka." The leader of the cloaked individuals said, lowering her head. Naofumi closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths.

_Damn, her words made me remember Aultocray's fucking words. Almost lost my cool there for a moment._

"Yeah, it's fine, just go already and make sure Motoyasu doesn't disturb me again with his idiocy." Naofumi said, turning his back on the cloaked individuals and walking to the villagers.

The village elder came and started thanking Naofumi for his help. The hero just sighed.

"No need to thank me, just give me a reward and we will be good." Naofumi declared.

The elder and a few villagers tightened their faces. The elder spoke. "Sir, if you would wait a few days, I'm sure we could reward your efforts and-" The elder was interrupted by the hero raising his hand.

"We just won a race to make sure you rebuild at your own pace. It would be counter-productive if I asked money from you now, wouldn't it? Find something else to reward me. You can begin by providing me a map of all the nearby nations." The hero gave an example, eyeing one broken wooden wagon.

The villagers and the elder smiled and all agreed with the hero, moved beyon relief by his actions. The Shield Hero had been considered a savior for Ryute Village, seeing as his help had progressed much of the necessary work necessary such as helping with collecting materials or making sure everyone was well fed and in good shape.

"How about this, my lord? With my authority, I shall grant you a Merchant's pass. It will allow you to sell your products and enter villages and cities with no need for taxes. I saw your crafted medicines and many told me you have taken an interest on crafting arts. Having a fast trasport shall allow you to make profit and you can cleanse your name from the slender that has been wrongly misplaced on you." The elder said. Naofumi crossed his arms in thought. "We shall even built you a wagon of your preference." Firo's eyes shone with light at the mention of a wagon for her. She immediately came close to Naofumi started nuzzling him, ignoring Dera, who was resting on his head.

"Yeah, seems like it could work." Naofumi said, trying to push the filorial away from him.

* * *

Afternoon came fast as Naofumi helped the group of carpenters to work on his wagon. He eventually decided to order a few springs from the local blacksmith, and as he waited for the pieces, he also worked on something else.

The carpenters worked on the wooden frame as Naofumi watched from the side, busy on a tanning rack. He had asked for Raphtalia and Firo to search for a great deal of balloons. Their leather was easier to work, and if Raphtalia's first toy, a ball, was anything to go by, he could improve the wheels. Shadow was sitting on a chair closeby, Naofumi's orders, and was watching him work on his current project.

He sewed layers and layers of balloon leather together, the shape of a wheel slowly coming about.

"You seem like you were familiar that mysterious group from earlier." Naofumi stated.

"This lowly one understand if Master wants this useless slave to go away. This lowly self deserves punishing slavery for hiding such details from Master, degozaru." Shadow said. She moved her hand with uncertainty, slowly depositing her weapons on the table close by. Soon followed her leather armor, her cloak and lastly, her crafted mask, allowing Naofumi to once more look at her features, normally so hidden away. She was now dressed on simple clothes, leather boots, brown pants and dark blue shirt.

"Shadow." Naofumi called her out, her brown, expressionless eyes setting over his frame. "Do you want to tell me about them? Not as master and slave. I'll respect if you don't want to. Just say what you feel comfortable sharing." He calmly said, green eyes focused on his leather work.

"This lowly one betrayed thy care and protection, master. Why would you listen to this one's lowly story." Emotion seeped into Shadow's voice, her eyes gaining a wet shimmer.

The hero sighed and tilted his head sideways a few times, a satisfying _pop _happening. "You haven't betrayed me, Shadow. I don't really care for sad stories, but I'll make an exception and listen to you. Go ahead, Raphtalia and Firo won't be back for a few hours." Naofumi placed the leathers aside and turned to pay full attention at Shadow. He even removed his cloak and upper armor and placed them close to Shadow's equipment, staying only with the lower armored parts and his black long-sleeved shirt.

Shadow was still in her place, head lowered in shame. Naofumi once more sighed, seeing a few tears drop from her eyes. "Stay here, I'll be back." The hero went to the inn. Five minutes later, the hero returned with a jar of water, a few fruits from his medicine stock and two cups, and sat back silently on his place. Naofumi used his knife to cut the fruits and squeze them inside the jar(remember that Naofumi can use and hold other things as long as he doesn't plan of fighting with them). A few more minutes and he filled the two cups with the beverage. He settled one cup for him, the other he settled in front of Shadow.

"Master?" She asked.

"Don't talk now, just drink." The hero pointed to her cup. The girl slowly obeyed, reaching for her cup. She took a sip from the drink, finding the sweet and sour taste of the citric fruit delicious. It flowed smoothly, being just right for an afternoon drink. Shadow never realized when she finished the entirety of her drink, only paying attention when Naofumi refilled her cup and paciently waited for her to drink again. Tears build up once more on the corners of her eyes.

"Master, please allow this lowly one to share a story with you. It will be a boring story, but please, listen to it." Shadow pleaded. Naofumi nodded.

* * *

**(Just a tiny second recomendation. Listen to Tsubasa wo Kudasai\Give me Wings for extra feels and read it as slowly as possible.)**

_Once upon a time, a human nation called Melromark existed. This nation with a focus on human supremacy wished for more land and as such waged wars against the neighboring demi-human nations of Silvelt and Shieldfreeden. Melromark was allied with a powerful nation called Faubley and the state supported religion, the Church of the Three Heroes, had many warriors ready to fight and extend their land._

_Wars raged between the nations, and even with all their power, Melromark lost under the might of the Shield-hero worshipping nations and their strenght._

_Melromark might have lost the war, but due to the efforts of its current queen, the nation avoided losing lands and assets. Many songs and stories were spawned from the efforts of the human queen and the famous Staff Hero who fought fierce battles against the demi-humans._

_However, this is not the focus of this tale._

_War, no matter how heroic or noble, will always have blood spilled. Many villages and cities were consumed on the fire of these battles. One battle, in special, resulted after a particularly well fought battle by Melromark. The nation, using the strategies of the Staff Hero, conquered a rich, mining demi-human village. Many civilians were killed, the rest sold out to slavery._

_Silvelt was more than enraged after the loss of their civilian citizens, massacred under human hands. Gathering an elite squad of White Tiger demi-human fighters, Silvelt used the chance to engage a surprise attack against the humans, but instead of villages or towns, the demi-humans rampaged their way until they were inside the capital of Melromark._

_It was said that the Staff Hero lost his beloved sister in this attack; ever since changing his posture to full-out agression against the demi-human nations._

_Before Melromark declared their surrender, one last battle occured. The human troops were stationed on one of the cities that bordered the two nations. The walled city received countless demands from the demi-human nation, demanding they stop their slavery and free all demi-human slaves. The city responded by hangind fifty demi-human slaves on their walls for the Silvelt troops to see. The next day, the city fell under the furious roars of Lionel the VII, the king of Silvelt at the time._

_The noble responsable for the city had his head carried to Melromark on a pike, his own family forced to carry it by the demi-human troops until they reached Melromark's capital._

_The queen of Melromark, ashamed of her failures, declared full surrender of the Nation and went to negociate with the Silvelt leaders._

_When she came back, all, but one, the members of the noble house commited suicide. The last remaining member, a five year old girl was adopted by the queen and placed on secret unit that was to help Melromark avoid wars on the future. This was the creation of the infamous Shadows of Melromark. This girl, due to her trauma, shut off all her emotions. She knew where her father had wrongly acted, and thus did not recent the retribution that came. She worked hard for the queen, hoping to avoid such tragedy and loss of life again. She clung to faith and her work._

_Ten years passed and a relative peace was established over the nations once more. Yet, the world was now having to face another danger. Not petty squables among nations, but a real threat against the entire world. The Waves of Destruction. Demons that aligned themselves with no nation and sought only chaos were coming._

_While the queen went to negociate with the other nations about the summoning of the Holy Heroes of Legend, the proxy king of Melromark and the pope of the Church of the Three Heroes ended up deciding to summon all the four heroes together using the relics. The nation also had a plan to incriminate the Shield hero, a somewhat petty revenge against the nations that worshipped him as a God. __This Shadow believed munch of the faith, but the shield being a demon was not one of them._

_The hard-working Shadow tried to stop such madness. She sent secret messages to her queen and established plans to help the future Shield hero. The shadow found weird when the queen returned her messages, only stating her to watch over the pope, for she trusted the proxy king, the previous Staff Hero and a man of great wisdom._

_The hard-working Shadow obeyed her queen. The plans of the proxy king and the pope ended up working and the Shield Hero fell on disgrace. All of this Shadow's work did not reach the Shield Bearer. She even observed the Hero on his first hours on this world, his eyes managing to catch her even with all her training. After his branding as a criminal, this Shadow tried once more to reach her queen, but the Church had also its own Shadow unit and they caught her desperate attempts at warning her queen. Had the queen disregarded her warning in favor of trusting her husband? Would the same thing happen again?_

_The shadow was brought to the Dragon's hourglass and had her power and level reset back to one, and was sold to a slave merchant as some disgraced noble's daughter. Nights passed, but the Shadow persisted, trusting that her queen would contact other Shadows and free her. Yet, none came. This Shadow had been abandoned by her queen? She passed days and nights unable to eat, the question hammering away on her mind. Her answer came by the hands of other Shadows. They came on the silent of the night and dropped a simple paper to Shadow. Her queens last words for her. "I'm sorry for disregarding your words, my love for my husband blinded me. Forgive me."_

_The Shadow fell in despair. Sha accepted her failures as absolute. She failed her father, her nation, her queen, the innocent Shield Hero. She failed. This Shadow accepted her end and spent her days staring up and waiting for the reaper to sow her soul._

_Yet, her end didn't come. Was this Shadow such a failure that she couldn't even die properly?_

_Someone arrived on the Slave Shop. A shield. Was the hero going to be the reaper she so long waited and longed for? What a fitting end for a failure of a shadow._

_Her end he was not. This shadow found herself a new purpose. Shadow would support the Shield, for he had saved her, even when she was the one that should have saved him. He offered her kindness. He saved her and did not corrupt himself, even with all the slander on his name, something that she could not not even with all her power before. She was no Shield Demon. This Shadow could understand why Silvelt and Shieldfreeden had opted to worship him as God. The other weapons' focus was on attacking and killing, but the Shield was a protector. He was the Shield._

_Master Naofumi was the Shield. Raphtalia-san was his sword. Then, this one would be his Shadow._

**(end of the second song: Tsubasa wa Kudasai\Give me wings)**

* * *

**(Last music of the chapter: Stay with me by Miki Matsubara. PS: Read this part slowly and enjoy the music to the end.)**

Naofumi heard the entire story, crossing his arms as Shadow finished telling her tale. Silence soon followed.

He stood up and made his way towards her. Shadow was ready to receive her punishment, so many failures led up to this. One calloused hand of the hero made its way at her. She closed her eyes and waited for the incoming punishment.

***Pat pat***

"Eh?" a dumb noise exited her mouth.

His right naked hand was patting her head, the hero's facial expression neutral. He didn't seem furious or upset, he merely continued patting her head. Shadow found tears gathering on the corners of her eyes again. She tried speaking something, but her voice cracked and her throat dried up.

The hero embraced her and continued patting her head.

The tears fell by themselves.

Shadow stood up and embraced the hero's frame, finding incredible comfort on his warm embrace.

"It's okay, let it out. Nobody besides me will hear it." His words. Kind words. Something warm flooded Shadow's heart and she started crying hard. Her legs lost their strenght and she almost met the ground, Naofumi's arms holding her. He slowly lowered their bodies, letting Shadow lay her head on his chest. The sky had darkened before she knew, the starts and the moon being the only light of the place. He hummed a song to her. Maybe it was something from his homeworld.

* * *

**AUTHOR NOTES.**

**How was that?**

**Just a heads up, Iwatani Naofumi's theme is: Devil Trigger.**

**You all can already see where I'm going with this story? kekekeke**


	7. This is how a Hero becomes a merchant

"Hurghh!" Naofumi grunted.

The hero was using his strength to lift up the left side of a wooden wagon while five villagers struggled to lift the right side. Another two carpenters were fixing the wheels in place. The villagers were heavily panting and sweating, their eyes fixing on Naofumi, wondering how could the hero have that kind of monstruous physical strength.

Firo was watching impatiently on the sidelines, her eyes shining with the prospect of soon having her own wagon. The filorial was chirping to the men as if encouraging them. Raphtalia was around to help in case they needed her help, but so far everything was fine. Shadow was doing whatever she did while out of sight. Dera had gone out hunting, her levels slowly increasing to match everyone in the party.

"All done! You can lay it down now!" The carpenter who was in charge of fixing the wheels in place exclaimed, wiping some sweat from his brow and fastening his hammer to his waist. The group of villagers and Naofumi slowly lowered the wooden construct until the leather padded wheels touched the ground. The men sighed in relief, doing a few exercises to avoid sudden cramps; Naofumi busied himself by examining the wagon, happy with the result.

He had been riding around with Firo on a borrowed wagon to get the handle of it, but it was fairly easy, all things considered. Firo sometimes was a bit trigger-happy in her want to rush and run, but Naofumi managed to get her to slow down. Shadow seemed fine on the times she rode on, while Raphtalia got terrible motion-sickness. Dera did her usual and coiled around his waist like an expensive leather belt.

Now looking at his own wagon, Naofumi felt some pride fill in his chest. Things would only go up from here. He examined the wheels, wondering it they would work as well as he hoped. He did some mock tests, but the best test would be out there on his travels. Who knows, he might get better materials to work with.

The hero thanked the group of villagers and the carpenters, signaling for Firo to come closer. He settled the harnesses over her and loaded a few wooden boxes inside the wagon. The wheels seemed good so far.

"Now Firo, we will do this slowly from the start. Did you hear me?" Naofumi asked, worried about breaking his vehicle. The filorial cooed and chirped, eyes blazing with excitement. The Shield sighed and hoped for the best.

Raphtalia, from a safe distance, encouraged and waved her hand at him. "You can do it, Naofumi-sama! Just take it easy!"

_"Easy" she says. She's not the one riding this death chariot. Why did I improve the wheels already? This is like jumping straight into the grave._ The hero mumbled to himself, gathering courage to give the order to the increasingly excited filorial. _How does a bird get so excited from pulling a damn wagon?_

"Firo, go ahead. Slowly!" The wagon slowly started moving, the usual shaking of the borrowed wagon less present due to Naofumi's instructions on where to put the suspencions on his wagon. The shock absorvers would really be great, but this was good enough. The menchandise wasn't shaking much, and Firo was doing good so far with a low speed.

Naofumi smiled, instructing the filorial to ride around the Ryute Village's outskirts. It was going good so far. Confident in his apparent success, Naofumi let out an excited shout. "Yeah! Ok, Firo, let's increase the speed a bit." The bird was ever so happy to comply, putting more power into her legs. The wagon increased in speed, but inside it, Naofumi still felt just fine. They completed their first round with no problems. He released one hand from the harness and moved it to open one of the wooden crates inside, revealing a few empty glass bottles, none cracked. The hero smirked.

"Firo, step up!"

* * *

"Are you alright, master?" Shadow asked, ready to catch Naofumi in case he fell down. She had returned a while ago and changed watch with Raphtalia.

The hero exited his wagon perfectly fine, stretching a bit his sore behind. "Yes, just fine. Firo ran faster than what I expected and wore down the wheels a bit, but otherwise, the crates with our stuff are fine." Naofumi explained, showing the inside of the wooden crates where all his glass bottles were in, undamaged. The Shield Hero moved closer to the Ranger-Assassin hybrid and checked her out, seeing that the girl had added a few changes to her wardrobe.

Shadow had reinforced leather armor with various small sheathes to store the multitude of throwing knives he had bought from the local Smith for her. Leg and van braces in leather, with metal sheets to reinforce and add extra protection, and hidden under her cloak was the hardest weapon to acquire, a spool of finely thin metal wire thread. All her clothing and armor were dyed in shades of dark blue, perfect for night stealth mission. He also had some spares (clothing and armor) ready for her, two in fact, colored to match the surroundings of Melromark, which consisted mostly of dark green forests and some grey mountainous areas.

The rogue squirmed a bit under his serious gaze, her masked face shifted to the side. "Master, is something the matter?"

Naofumi shook his head sideways. "Just checking on you. Everything's going good?" His question made Shadow nod. He hummed at her affirmation and called out Firo. "Go get Dera; Shadow, get Raphtalia. We will grind some levels and get some materials. I have spent too much; it's time to make some money!"

Shadow nodded and vanished in a burst of speed, while Firo chirped and ran into the forest in search of her two-headed companion.

Later, the party got together and did their work. The mobs became too weak for them to acquire EXP, so they focused on gathering materials. Monster leather, medicinal herbs, anything that the Shield Hero had a fleeting thought that would have use, he would grab it. Eventually, his wagon was full of materials, which he hauled to his inn room and went to work. Shadow sat by his side, working on her own pieces of armor. She already knew how to work on light leather armor, so he didn't need to keep tabs on her. Raphtalia tried her hand at armor crafting, but the best she could do were repairs.

The following week went by on a fast pace, the group excited to hit the road and start earning money.

* * *

"What the fuck is this shit?!" Naofumi shouted, eyes wide in surprise at the creature inside the filorial stables.

Shadow immediately rushed his way, appearing as a smoky blur at the hero's side. Raphtalia also ran towards him, emerging on the door of the stable, a dirt cloud emerging from behind her.

"What-.." Raphtalia was left speechless at the sight. Shadow merely stared at the fluffy creature. Dera, from her usual hiding place, coiled around Naofumi's waist, cocked her heads sideways as her forked tongues flickered and gathered the modified smell of the bird.

.

.

.

**Melromark Castletown**

**Erhart's Weapon Shop**

"HEY! Old man, open up! HEY!" Naofumi's fist banged on the wooden door of the store like a sledgehammer, loudly announcing his presence. The hero continued knocking on the door for a few seconds, after which he waited for a response. A few seconds later, the door opened slightly, Erhart poking his head outside to see who would be crazy enough to bother him at such time in the night.

"Shop is closed, the heck do you want?" The tanned, bald man announced before he could get a good look at the perpetrator. As his eyes settled on the frame of the Shield Hero, his cramped face eased a bit. "Sweet bread, kid, do you know what time is it? Why are you knocking on my door like you've heelhounds in your heels?" The smith asked, opening the door for the hero and his party to enter.

First one through the door was the Shield Bearer, soon followed by a small, blonde haired girl covered with a green cloak. Raphtalia and Shadow soon followed, the latter closing the door.

"Master, who is the big, bald man?" The young girl asked, pointing her finger at Erhart. Naofumi sighed in annoyance, wondering what sort of cosmic entity he had pissed off to have such rotten luck.

"Don't point at people, and don't call him bald!" Naofumi reprimanded the girl, turned to the smith and apologized. "Sorry for the inconvenience, we'll take just a short while."

"What can I get you, Shield-kiddo?" The tanned man asked, going to his counter. "Please, don't tell me you came here to brag about buying a good slave, or I'll throw you out and make you pay me a meal." The hero exclaimed loudly his refusal about bragging. While the two men discussed and talked, the blonde girl sniffed the air a few times, calling the attention of the duo. "You hungry, jou-chan? I made some late night dinner; Can give you some for sure, how about it?" The offer made the girl's eyes shine and glimmer. Naofumi tried stopping her, but she rushed past him with a quick step.

"Yeaahhhhhh!" The blonde girl rushed over to the fireplace with a giddy step. She quickly approached the pot where soup was boiling, grabbed pot and with a quick puff of smoke, ate the entire thing in one go.

Silence ensued as the small blondie had suddenly turned into a big bird resembling a filorial, except a lot bigger. Naofumi facepalmed, Raphtalia stared in exhasperation at the bird as she spat the empty metal pot, the cooking ware clanging loudly on the stoneground. Erhart's face froze into a mix of expressions, none discernible due to his shock. Shadow watched the entire play three feet behind Naofumi's back, her masked eyes betraying nothing.

"Master's cooking was way better~!" The bird exclaimed, relaxing her frame against the nearby wall. Naofumi marched close to her, his voice full of an fed-up tone.

"Firo! Turn back into your human form. Sorry, old man! I'll make it up for you later, just give me a sec." The hero apologized once more. The big bird, now identified as Firo, yawned and rustled her feathers in a lazy manner.

"My tummy is full, so I'll do it later~!" Her words made the hero ground his teeth audibly. He looked in his HUD for a few seconds, eyes focusing on the slave contract page.

"Oh, yeah? Let's fucking see to that!" His words were accompanied by a slight crackling of electricity, as Firo's slave crest - a rather fancy one at that - lit up with a strong light. "Change back to human!" His shout and the sudden discharge of lightining echoed inside the shop.

Soon, whining and crying left the form of the once more little blondie, now draping rags over her body as the green cloak she used was ripped to shreds during her transformation. Under the whining of Firo, Naofumi turned to the blacksmith.

"So the kid is actually a tamed monster, huh? Even so, quite harsh treatment, don't you think?" Erhart asked as he pointed to the crying girl. Raphtalia went to her to see if she could calm her down, but the sudden emergence of Dera, who uncoiled from Naofumi's waist and rose to his shoulders, was an effective measure. It did startle the smith, who jumped back in fright at the sudden appearance of the Hydra and grabbed a nearby battleaxe. "KIDDO! Don't move! Considering your defenses, this won't really hurt, but just in case, let me aim where there is armor to protect you!"

"What?! Oh, her?" Naofumi pointed with his right thumb to the double-headed snake staring at Firo. "There's nothing to worry about this one. Dera's really docile and won't attack unless I tell her too. Unlike a certain someone!" The hero stared at the blondie. Dera, considering her height advantage while on Naofumi's body, stared harder at Firo. The blonde girl showed her tongue to the snake.

"No way! Master won't lay with Firo in human form! Boo~!" The statement made the smith sputter and glance at the hero. Naofumi looked back at the man with a annoyed face.

"Never mind her, she already costed me a hefty sum of money! I had to go back to the Slaver's tent and get a high-level slave crest since the previous one stopped working on her, she made a fuss there and almost broke a cell, and that fucking penguin kept bothering me to let her stay there to examine her. To top if off, she shredded my only good cloak. Please, tell me you have something that won't turn into confetti next time she transforms." Naofumi pleaded, reigning in his annoyance.

"What do you think this shop looks like, kid? I sell weapons and armor here, not magical items." Erhart drapped his battleaxe over his left shoulder and pointed to a few of his profucts.

"Hey, don't tell me you expect me to take outside a naked girl that turns into a bird! I'm not exactly hero material, but even I have morals, you know!" The shield deadpanned.

The smith sighed in good manner. "You really are a handfull, you know?" He lowered his weapon and leaned on the counter.

Naofumi let out a relieved breath. "You have it then!?"

"Not here with me, but the old Witch on the magic store should have something for you. You should know her, she mentioned talking to you last time we're having some tea together." The smith smiled in good tone. "Rest for the night since it looks like you rushed here without stopping. It's a surprise the gatekeepers let you in at this time."

"Sure, appreciate it. As thanks, let me cook you something since Firo ate your dinner." Naofumi stated. Erhart suddenly remembered about that too, and crossed his arms.

"Yeah, that's right! Barging in here at this time, demandind help so suddenly." The smith teased, smiling lightly as Naofumi rolled his eyes and made his way back to the fireplace. "Must be the influence of your armor, which is strange since you were so against it last time; now, here you are, behaving exactly like a Barbarian Lord!"

"Shut it, old man! Shadow, get me some boar meat and some spices from the wagon." Naofumi huffed and grabbed the discarted pot. Washing the saliva coated cookware using a water-bucket nearby, Naofumi once more placed it over the small flame in the fireplace. Shadow was quick on her step, already back with a myriad of ingredients, included those that Naofumi asked for. Raphtalia, not to be outdone, quickly went outside the shop and got a water barrel from the wagon in the shop. Although not as fast as Shadow, Raphtalia had strenght to spare.

The hero took off his gloves, washed his hands and prepared his cooking utensils, quickly starting on the meal. Agile and nimble, his hands picked the cooking knife and he rapidly chopped a few herbs and vegetables, adding them to the heating pot. The vegetables started sizzling as he added some fat from the monster meat, Stomping Boar, and then, cube shaped pieces of the meat he cut. The smell was enticing, seeing as everyone got closer to the pot. Erhart peeked at it, even when he wanted to keep looking away from the pot. Raphtalia and Firo outright stared at the meal, drooling at the corner of their mouths. Shadow was looking at it hidden behind the smith's frame, and Dera had left his waist, tongues flickering rapidly in and out of her mouths as she coiled around herself.

Naofumi grumbled and shooed them away. "I'll call you when it's ready!" He sighed and focused back on his task. Using a big fork, he picked the juicy meat and let it rest on a plate as he grabbed some spices he had acquired on Ryute Village. Since the meat was only lighty cooked, the meat juices would enhance the flavor. Salt, pepper and spices rubbed on the meat cubes, the hero let them inside the pot once more, some steam hissing away as meat cooked together with vegetables and herbs. He added just a bit of citrus-fruit juice to not let the meat burn and let it all simmer for a few minutes. The last touches were some raw vegetables akin to red bell pepper, a few more herbs to mask the gamey taste of the boar and lastly another light sprinkle of salt and pepper and more citric-fruit juice.

When the hero turned back, he spotted everyone hanging on the door's frame, eyes glued to the pot. He loudly sighed.

"This is the Old Man's food! You all ate already!"

"But Master!"

"Naofumi-sama~..."

"Master, this worthless one begs for a small share!"

"NO!"

* * *

The next day, the Hero and his party were inside the magic shop, the plump witch setting a tray with a few cups of tea for her guests.

"Please, have some." She offered, setting the first steaming cup for Naofumi and followed by giving the others their share.

Naofumi took the ceramic cup and took a sip of the tea. It had light taste, something rather appropriate for small talks. _It would be perfect if acompanied by some snacks. _He joked inside his head before setting down his cup and asking the robed woman about his business.

She smiled and pointed to a spindler-like construct at one corner of her store. "Sure, making magical clothes is possible. I use it quite frequently, as always ripping my robes when using transformation magic would be troublesome. I'd love to help you..." Her hesitation made Naofumi raise one of his browns. The witch stood from her place and walked closer to the tool. She pointed to a inbedded gem, which was cracked.

"As you can see, my magic stone is currently broken, and buying one on the market is going to be too expensive, considering the prices of magical materials have been increasing." The witch exhaled in defeat. Naofumi took the information with joy. _A merchant is always up-to-par with the most recent news, after all!_ He took another sip of his offered drink and coughed to get the attention of the plump woman.

"Hmm, you wouldn't happen to know where we could acquire those magic stones? Firo is fast on her feet and my wagon is big, we can go there." He offered. The lady's eyes lit with excitement and she rose from her seat with surprising agility.

"My my, a date with the Shield Hero! Who would know this old lady could still attract such a fine man!" Naofumi deadpanned. The witch laughed softly, waving her hands at him. "Just a joke, just a joke~. Yes, I know the place, it's not too far from here; in fact, I was about to suggesting the same thing to you, but I guess we do have some compatibility after all." The woman continued her light teasing, enjoying the pouting raccoon girl's face.

"Great! Then, let's get on the road quick." Naofumi finished his drink and stood up. THe group exited the shop and soon they were out of the capital, wagon running to the mine the Witch pointed at on a map. The Hero needed only a few glances to have his own **[World Map] skill** updated, directing the bigger in size Firo to their destination.

They needed just two hours to reach their supposed destination. They soon closed in on the entrance of a temple, the place reminding Naofumi of old, Roman styled buildings. Firo parked her wagon a few meters away from the building per to the Witch's instructions, but Naofumi was rather curious as to why they had stopped at this place. It definitively didn't seem to be a mine.

"What's with this place? Why have we come here?" He asked the plump woman, helping her descend from the "vehicle".

"This is a shortcut for us to access the mine which contains the magic stones we are looking for. Legend has that it was once the base of a mad alchemist, but there is no danger for us to worry about. Exploring a secret lair, doesn't it sound exciting for our first date?" THe witch joked again, eyeing the reaction of the second female companion of the hero. The first one, the raccoon girl, was protective of him, but apparently hadn't had any romantic ties with the hero yet. The second one was more of a mystery, considering she showed no signs of anything so far, always reserved and collected, a perfect assassin. _Good, it seems no one has occupied the position of spell-caster in his party. Felicia sent me a letter stating that she is finishing her studies, so she will be perfect for him. By the time she comes from Faubley, she should be advanced enough in levels._

"Yeah, sounds good enough." Naofumi ignored the last part and nodded, picking some mining equipment from his cart. Firo approached him, as did Shadow. Dera was wrapped on his waist, hidden in plain sight. He eyed the raccoon girl hanging on the edge of the wagon, looking like she was about to empty her stomach contents. "Raphtalia, rest for a while. Your motion sickness won't go away right now, so sit tight and watch the wagon." She wanted to protest, but her cheeks colored with a green hue and she slumped against the wagon.

"Sorry for being useless right now, Naofumi-sama~" The hero waved her concerns off.

"Get better then, so next time you won't be troubled with it." He gave Raphtalia a quick headpat and moved to lead his group into the temple.

Changing to his **[Lantern shield]**, the hero pointed his weapon in front of him. "**[Focus light]!**" his weapon lit a small light, which began to grow and increase as he changed the SP input into the skill. "Shadow, scout ahead and see if there is anything in there. We will be walking at a normal pace, so return either in 15 minutes, or as soon as you find something."

"Yes, Master!" The girl nodded at her orders and rushed ahead, quickly dissapearing from their sight. Naofumi looked back and confirmed his group: Him, Firo, the witch and Dera. "Let's get going then." He said, taking the lead.

The group walked inside the temple and started their search for the shortcut to the mine. Naofumi was also on the lookout for anything that could be treasure for him. Shadow came back on the meantime, nothing to report as they headed deeper into the temple. After a few more minutes, Shadow pulled lightly on his cape to get his attention.

"Master, this one sees something up ahead. Doesn't look like it is a monster, degozaru." Her report made the Hero focus the light of his skill towards the place she had indicated to him. The light showed the group an open chest. They approached it with caution, but the witch assured them it wasn't a magical trap.

They looked at the chest, nothing inside it. Naofumi sighed in displeasure. The witch got closer to the small stone monolith beside the chest and analyzed the words written there.

"'_To those that dare open the seal placed on this, I pray that the seeds never touch the ground.' _is what it says here. Maybe the records of a failure of the alchemist?" The plump lady spoke to the group.

"Nevermind that, it's empty so we might as well make use of it." Naofumi said, closing the opened chest and with ease, lifting and carrying it under his currently unoccupied arm. The witch widened her eyes. Normally a chest like that would weight a fair bit, but here was the Hero lifting it like it weighted nothing. She let out a soft laghter.

"Ufufufu, showing off to impress this old lady?"

Naofumi scoffed and rolled his eyes.

The group procceed deeper into the temple, soon finding a downed wall that continued into a mining shaft. Shadow wasted no time and went in first, scouting ahead. Firo played about, singing an easy tone and enjoying how the sound echoed. More walking and a few dead ends later, the group were currently walking down the length of one of the tunnels.

Naofumi stopped a bit for a short rest, seeing that the witch had started to lag behind a few times. As he put down the chest, he realized that Firo had been too quiet for a while, which was strange considering she was usually a ball of energy. He looked at her, seeing the filorial look at him with teary eyes. _What is she doing?_

"Master! Don't sell Firo! Firo will be a good girl!" She suddenly rushed at him and started smothering him in her feathers, startling the witch with the antic.

"What the hell are you talking about, Firo?" He asked, trying to get the filorial to release him from her hold.

"Master said that Firo was playing around too much and that he would sell Firo to the meanie at the tent. Firo promises to be a good girl, so please, don't feed bitter medicine to Firo!" She pleaded harder. Naofumi was about to smack her on the head due to her nonsense, but he suddenly realized that their surroundings had darkened, which shouldn't be possible as his light skill was still active. He was about to shout, but a shrieking noise sounded first, a bat-like monster falling to the ground with a throwing dagger stabbed into its abdomen.

"Everyone, close your eyes!" He shouted, increasing his SP output into his **[Focus light]**. The sudden light made many other monsters shriek, first off surprise, second after a knife sound its way into their soft bellies. One dagger clipped one of the bats on the left wing, the monster falling close to Naofumi. He stomped on the creature, his boot dyed crimson as fresh blood caked it. The witch prepared her wand and released a spell, many more bats falling on the ground. Those that avoided the daggers and the magic, found a furious Firo. "I never planed to sell you, Firo! Just keep listening to me!"

"Firo is angry! She will eat all of them!" The attack didn't last five minutes.

Many of the bats laid on the ground, dead due to either the sharp edge of Shadow's daggers or Firo's furious beak. Naofumi himself managed to kill some of the buggers, his **Counterattack **staggering them enough for him to either stomp on them or simply squeeze them in his hands. A bit brute, but what would you do? Shadow also had experimented with her new weapon, the metal wires, many immobilized bats squeaking and shrieking as they were cut by the thin metal thread.

"As expected from a hero's party, the monsters never stood a chance." Witch complimented. Naofumi busied himself with picking the more intact corpses and throwing them inside the chest he had acquired. Absorbing a few to unlock some shields, the hero quickly finished his work and they procceed to advance a bit more, Firo's beak in action as she ate the killed monsters.

More walking and some banter exchanged between Naofumi, Firo and the witch, the group finally emerged on a larger part of the mine, many crystals exposed on the cave walls. Naofumi was about to continue walking, but once more Shadow pulled on his cloak.

"There is one enemy there, Master. Somewhat strong, but no threat to us." The girl said, already pulling on some daggers from their sheaths. To his surprise, Dera stirred and moved, uncoiling from his waist and flickering her tongue to taste the air. The witch, whom hadn't seen the two headed monster before almost let out a surprised yelp, but Naofumi stretching his right hand to pat the snake calmed her. Her heart was beating wildly though.

Dera slittered her way to the closest wall and started climbing it, coiling around some of the jutting cyrstals to have better leverage. Shadow followed the snake, sheating her daggers and climbing the wall with quick and precise movements. Naofumi prepared his shield. "Witch, we'll kill the monster, can I count on assistance from you?"

"But of course, it's only fair I help out." She said, a focused expression adorning her face.

The trio walked a bit and found the monster Shadow had sensed. It seemed to be a mix of monsters, monkey head, raccoon body, tiger limbs and to top it off, a snake head as a tail, a Nue. The monster was staring at the crystals, seemingly unware of the group. Naofumi wouldn't waste such a chance for a surprise attack. He raised his hand in the air and quickly brought it down.

That was the signal Shadow had been waiting for. Her hands flickered with speed, precise movements throwing daggers at specific parts to pin down the Nue. The monster tilted its head on the incoming daggers, and managed to dogde two of the five thrown. One pierced the left forepaw, the other two burrying deep on the creature's torso.

As that happened, Naofumi just waited for the monster to get distracted, which it did. "**Air Strike Shield! Blunt Spike!**" One green, magical shield emerged over the Nue, the monster not paying attention to it since it represented it no danger. Big mistake. The following magical stake dropped the shield on the Nue, smashing the monster against the ground with much strenght. The attacks didn't stop as Dera first spat a thick glob of purple goo at the Nue, making the monster screech in pain; The two headed snake followed with another attack, this time spewing a cloud of noxious gas on the monster. "Now witch, use yor magic; preferencially, something fire-based!"

"_I, as the source of thy power, command thee: become truth and manifest yourself in fire_. **Zweiter Fireshot!**" Witch chanted her second magic of the day and threw a orb of fire at the purple gas covering the monster. Needless to say, the resulting explosion was quite the boom.

Naofumi rose his hand to stop the incoming attacks, waiting for the monster to move. The dust cloud around the Nue shifted, lightning spewing around the monster. The attack was mostly useless, considering it didn't have a long range to affect them. After the attack stopped, Naofumi rose his hand once more and pointed to the monster. "Firo, finish it!" At his command, another wave of daggers rained upon the monster, all aimed at its limbs instead of vital parts. Firo obeyed the order and rushed to meet the charred monster, a vicious kick aimed at the Nue's head. It was a bit of a surprise when the head was blown away, the remaining bits showering the wall behind the monster with brain matter and blood.

"Yikes, you never skipped leg day, huh?" Naofumi deadpanned to Firo. Dera and Shadow dropped from the ceiling of the cave, the Hydra failing directly atop the hero's shoulders and the girl by his side. He moved closer to the monster and started doind his usual job of skinning and cutting, Shadow quick to help him. Dera coiled around herself and looked at the pretty scenery provided by the crystals lighting the cave. As the hero gathered enough Nue materials to unlock various shields, he grabbed the pickaxe he had brought with him. "Let's get working already. Shadow, keep skinning it; Firo, stand watch; Witch, tell me which crystal you think will be good for you. Dera, get together with Firo and clean-up any remaining monsters.

Having received their orders, the group went to work.

* * *

"Masteeerrr~~ This is boring and tiring; Firo is tired of spinning the thingie!" The filorial complained. After they had finished their endeavor on the mine, Naofumi netting up a good quantity of crystals, the group headed back to the Magic Shop. There, the witch used the stone Naofumi dug for her to replace her broken one and immediately start on the process of acquiring magical thread. Firo had been doing it for the past forty-five minutes, a great spool of glittering, soft blue, magical thread accumulated.

Naofumi rolled his eyes at the complaining blonde, but nodded. "Yeah, get some rest. Shadow, get yourself some thread while we are at it. I've an idea for a new weapon to you." His command was immediately followed, Shadow sitting down on the stool where Firo was previously. She started spinning the wheel's handle, this time a darker colored thread began to come out. Naofumi rose one of his brows, but the Witch waved his concerns off.

"Don't worry about it. The color is a representation of her mana afinity." The magic store owner explained. Naofumi nodded.

"Keep at it until you feel that you have enough thread." The hero said to Shadow and turned to the witch. "How much is it for her portion?"

The lady seemed in thought for a seconds, after which she simply smiled at him. "Instead of paying me with money, how about we strike a deal?" Naofumi narrowed his eyes, but considering the woman had been true to her words up to now and even had helped him, he chose to hear her proposition.

"My niece is a mage aprentice, just like me. She has been studing magic on Faubley, and is close to graduating the Magic Academy, but her parents told me her plans are to stay cooped inside Academy's library. Books sure are amazing to help one undestand magic, but I feel that going out there and accumulating real-life experience would also be as great as the Magic Academy. What better ccompany for an upcoming mage than the Shield Hero? How about it, sir?" The proposition wasn't bad per say, but Naofumi wondered if he would be able to accept someone so easily in his party. All his current companions were slaves, people bound by a curse to never betray him. Would a normal person be able to do that?

_Should I trust people again?_

The hero pondered for a while. The witch was about to give up on her proposition, but Naofumi spoke out first.

"I can't promise to be a baby-sitter, I have my duties. However, you have helped me out a fair bit, so sent me a letter when she arrives. I'll come to pick her up. Can't promise that traveling with me will be pleasant or have any use for her, but I can guarantee that she won't be harmed under my watch." Naofumi said, making Raphtalia smile. Her master was showing his caring side once more. "I'll deposit some trust in you, Witch. Please, don't make me regret this." He pleaded in a low voice. The plump lady smiled, but something stirred inside her. Was it the tired tone with which the hero asked, or the darkness inside his pupils as his eyes bore holes into her, she couldn't decide which feelings her heart should be feeling. So she settled for what seemed to be the right choice.

"I guarantee, sir Shield Hero-sama!" The woman gave him a serious look. Naofumi's eyes stayed on her frame for a few seconds, after which the hero slowly closed them as he nodded to her.

"Good."

* * *

"Master, master, how does Firo look?" The filorial asked excitedly. She was twirling around Erhart's shop, adorning a beautiful baby blue and white one piece dress. Raphtalia complimented the girl, gushing over how cute she looked. Erhart gave his silent thumbs up, enjoying the cute display of the girl. Shadow was silent, eyes some daggers on display. She stealthly took glances at Firo through the reflection on the glass, but Naofumi had caught her gaze a few times. He nodded at Firo, but crossed his arms and displayed a grumpy face.

"Yeah, yeah, you look amazing, but you also costed me a pretty penny. I have spent over 350 silver coins on you Firo. Raphtalia and Shadow together were cheaper, you know." His complaint made Raphtalia blush in shame, her tail whisking up.

"Naofumi-sama! Don't say things that imply I'm a cheap girl!" The raccoon was short of shouting at him. She turned around and walked at Shadow with a hurried step. "Shadow-san, please tell Naofumi-sama something too!"

Shadow looked at Raphtalia and tilted her head sideways. "Why should this lowly one complain about simple facts? This lowly one is happy to have not been a burden on Master's finances; besides, our values have increased since we have become useful for Master." Raphtalia was at a loss on what to say. Erhart shook his head jokingly.

"Rogue-nee-chan, you sure talk like the kiddo. You sure you aren't related?" The smith joked, his bulky arms shaking as he softly laughed to himself. Raphtalia slumped, defeated by the mood.

Naofumi coughed to get everyone's attention. "Well, since we have everything we were looking for, how about hitting the road? We have to sell our stocks." His proposition made Firo jump with joy, the prospect of pulling her wagon sounding amazing. Shadow nodded, approaching the hero, Raphtalia doing the same. Dera, coiled around him, simply nuzzled into him to demonstrate her agreement. Naofumi could feel something else beside her two heads touching him. The hero lifted his cloak, taking a look at her and finding a third nub growing. _Already growing a third head? At this rate, I sure hope you don't eat like Firo, else we might have to increase the food budget again._

"I'll see you when the time for the waves is closing on, old man." Naofumi said his good-byes to the smith, earning a loud clap on the back.

"Don't get all sappy with me now, kiddo! Go out there and make a killing, then spend your money here, please!" Erhart's smile annoyed Naofumi, or so the hero would like to think, the tiny smile on his own lips betraying him.

The group exited the weapon shop and went their way. Erhart grabbed a whetstone and went to work, sharpening some equipment with diligence. He continued his work for a few minutes, but someone entered his shop with a hurried step.

"What is it, kiddo? Forgot you pants here or somethi-" His speech was cut short, since the person inside his shop was not Naofumi or the girls from his party. In front of the smith was a tall woman, dressed in knight armor. Her pink colored hair was stunning, matching her blue eyes perfectly. Her face locked in a expression of focus, like someone on a mission. "How can I help you, missy?" The smith asked.

"My name is Eclair Seatto. I came here to talk with the Shield Hero, as some merchants informed me that he was a constant patron of this shop. May I meet him?" The female knight, Eclair, pleaded, her voice coated with a mix of a desperate plea and hopeful assurance. Erhart stratched the back of his bald head, following by massasing the hair of his goatee.

"Shield-nii-chan was here not too long ago, but he left kind in a hurry. Doubt you'll see him before the waves, though. What do you need to talk with him, miss knight." The smith's question made Eclair's face drop, the woman letting a bitter smile settle over her lips. Erhart knew Naofumi wasn't exactly buddies with the Knight Order of Melromark, so he was ready to give some misdirection if the need arose.

"I was trying guarantee Melromark's future..." She spoke in a small voice, the letter on her hands crumbled due to how hard she was holding it. Eclair would come to regret her decision even more after word of the acts of the three heroes spread out.

* * *

**Ten days after Naofumi's departure from Melromark's capital.**

**Cossete Town's outskirts, West Melromark. Night time.**

Naofumi had been traveling for a few days now, his work being very lucrative. Selling medicine, potions, crafted goods like acessories, and performing mercenary work for the villages and towns he had come across, the hero couldn't complain as his **[Currency-Holder Shield]** had evolved into **[Currency-Holder II Shield]**, allowing him to stock even more money safely and even giving him a passive **[Fortune up(small)]** bonus skill. He had stopped close to a city after receving a sudden request from the previous village.

Cossete's lord had asked for a great deal of herbicide, which the hero was ever so happy to comply, since due to this work his **[Alchemy]** skill had turned into **[Advanced Alchemy]**. Apparently they were dealing with some overgrown plants, the details short since the man that asked him the request simply gave him a bag with silver coins and pointed the location of the village on a map.

Naofumi was already close to the location of the request, and he could see the why of the request. His wagon had been approached by a lot of plant-type monsters such as Man-eater plants, Treants, and the ocasional acid-spitting plant, all of them dealt accordingly by Firo, Raphtalia, Shadow and Dera.

He placed more wood into the fire he had, the light needed as even now late in the night he continued with his work, concocting potions and other items. Firo was closeby, sleeping in her bird-form. Raphtalia was inside the wagon, also asleep. Dera was the one in charge of guard duty tonight, her three heads each looking at one direction from atop the wagon. Shadow was also close to the fire, working with her weapon, the metal thread wires.

Naofumi finished the last potion of the night, set his tools aside and watched the girl work with her complicated weapon, her slender fingers doing subtle moves and shifting the thread around a piece of hard wood. She continued, full focus on her weapon, until she realized the hero was staring at her. A bit surprised by his full atention, she slipped up on her control, almost wrapping the thread around her left fingers. Shadow managed to avoid chopping her fingers off, but she cut them, blood flowing from the cuts.

The hero moved closer to her, hand stretched out in a silent request for her to show her wound. A bit ashamed by her blunder, the girl shyly showed her left hand to him.

"_I, the Shield Hero, discovered the principles of nature in ther deepest form. Restore and heal my ally under my command._ **First Heal**." Magic gathered on his hand, a green light emerging from him to cover her hand in warmth, her cuts healing rapidly. "There, it should be alright now."

"Thank you, Master, for healing this lowly one." Shadow thanked the hero, her head lowered a bit.

"Don't mind it, just take care to not hurt yourself with those." He pointed to the spool of glithering metal thread. "How is it? Getting used to them?"

Shadow lowered her hand until she touched the cool metal, eyeing it with care. "They take a bit to get used to, but I've been practicing with them alot. It's the weapon Master got to me, so I'll have to try my hardest to master how to use it." Her voice, although still flat, carried some determination with it. Naofumi extended his hand once more, this time patting her hooded head.

"Don't rush it. Get used to them in your own time, you fight plenty with your daggers." He said, turning back and returning to his previous place. He sat down and searched his things a bit, pulling out the grimore he had finally finished reading in Melromark's language. He softly clapped his hands together, thanking the Magic Shop Owner for her gift, and fed the book to his shield.

**[Magic Tome Shield unlocked.]**

**[Magic Tome Shield]**

**-Increased magic proficiency (medium); Increased magic resistance (High)**

**+Passive skill: [Magic Imbuing]**

**+Bonus skill: [Magic book]**

He equiped the shield, his current **[Small Shield]** taking the shape of a book. Naofumi examined his newest shield, its shape of a book. He almost laughed at how simple it looked, but an idea went passed on his mind. The villages far from Melromark's capital didn't have a clear image of who he was, all they had was the description of a fiendish-looking man with a legendary shield strapped to his arm; all the hero had to do was change his shield to something less conspicuous, le **[Magic Grimore Shield]**, and he should probably be fine. God knows how many good deals he had lost as soon as a merchant spotted his weapon.

He hummed to himself, so amused with his newest shield that he almost missed the tug on his cloak. He turned to see Shadow, her left hand grasping the edge of the green cloth. She had taken to grasping it frequently, making the hero wonder if it was the girl's own clique or something.

"Master, would it bother you if this worthless one...laid by your side?" the girl's question surprised the hero a bit. What kind of question was that? He saw no problems with her request and indulged her with a head nod, allowing her to do as she pleased. Shadow nodded to him and went to her equipment, gathered her things and got closer to the hero. She laid her backpack closer to his own, and took off the outer layers of her garments, meaning her leather armor, cloak and mask.

The hero took in the chance of see her face, a moment quite rare as she spent most of her time hiding behind the mask and her hood. A light blush dusted her cheeks, making the hero wonder if she was okay on the health department.

Done with her preparations, Shadow sat back down and leaned her back against the Hero's. Naofumi wondered the why of her sudden display of intimacy, but decided to not comment on it. He eyed the night sky, stars shining with a soft glimmer he hadn't seen back in Japan. It almost made his summoning to this world worth it, were it not for the fact he had been set up from the start. He remembered the story Shadow had shared with him, wondering how things would be if he were to be summoned somewhere like Siltvelt, where he was suposedly worshiped as a god.

_No time to dwell on things that didn't happen. We'll go to the village tomorrow, deliver the herbicide and then go away. After this village, we'll follow the road to go farther west. The rumours of here are that there isa country going through civil unrest, hopefully we can net some profit selling medicine and armors there. Shadow and I have been making some fine leather armor, so there is that to look forward to._ The hero filled his chest with fresh air, releasing a sigh. _I know alcohol doesn't really do anything to me, but I kind of miss drinking a cold beer. _

Once more, his cloak was tugged on. "Master, forgive this worthless Shadow, but..." The girl's eyes were covered by her hair, but he could perceive a growing blush dusting her cheeks. "Could Master sing me a song from his homeworld?" Another unusual request coming from the ever so quiet girl, but he couldn't find it in him to refuse her. He went silent for a while, wondering what he could hum without either waking up the others or horribly go out of tempo. He started to softly hum, trying his best to hum to the beat and sing the lyrics.

**(Play out Telephone Awoo and enjoy the kawaii.)**

Shadow relaxed even further against his frame, tapping softly her boots at his humm. He tried his best, and it wasn't horrible, if the light snoring coming from the girl was anything to go by. He let her sleep like that, until soft fabric covered his vision. Firo, whom had turned into her human form, was hugging him from the front, agressivily nuzzling against him. He heard a hissing coming from the top of his wagon, Dera no doubt angry at the sudden action from the filorial.

"Master, no fair~! You and Shadow were getting all clingy. Master doesn't get clingly with Firo!" The blonde loli complained, making the hero stop his humming. He tried to separate the filorial from himself, her grip almost as strong as his. He managed to get some breathing room, huffing as his body temperature was increasing.

"Firo, you get too clingy and your body's temperature is too high, I'll cook inside my armor." The hero rebuked, making Firo flail even more against him.

"Then take off your armor and get sleep with Firo~!" That got a response from Raphtalia, whom quickly exited the wagon, her face flushed red at the conversation.

"Firo! You can't say such things and trouble Naofumi-sama like that!" The raccoon girl said, redness consuming the entirety of her face. She too rushed to get closer to the hero, hugging his free right arm, as his left was occupied by Firo.

The hero let out a troubled noise, his face displaying a mix of annoyance and acceptance. _When did I spoil them like this?_

"It's too hot like this!"

* * *

"I fucking hate you, Motoyasu!" Naofumi shouted, curb-stomping another plant vine attacking him.

He managed to arrive at Cossete Town, the place being almost overwhelmed by plant-matter. The village lord had managed to gather the civilians on a more secure part of the town, thick wooden barricades protecting a zone from the expanding threat. He met with the lord, a middle-aged man with a dirty-yellow mop of hair and simple clothing, and delivered the herbicides requested. After receiving his payment, Naofumi planned to immediately fuck off from the place, but a group of villagers surrounded him and begged he help them rescue those that had been left behind.

At first, Naofumi wanted to refuse such a troublesome request and get going, but he stopped and pushed his luck a bit.

"If you want my help so bad, how about some extra payment? I'm sorry to say this, but I'm a busy merchant. Got anything to make it worth my while?" He asked, almost sure that the people would reject him. Imagine his surprise when five minutes later, the group put together 350 silver coins and offered even more after he returned. Not even he could refuse that. He separated 100 silver coins from the bag and gave them back to the lord, who looked at him with curiosity.

He quickly swapped **[Magic Tome Shield]** for the **[Chimeric Viper Shield]** and got his slaves together. Many exhasperated gasps from the crowd were all he heard as he left to exterminate the plant plague. Not before asking the lord the reason such a thing had happened.

"A convenient seed that quickly sprouts fruits and helped them through a drought, delivered by none other than that fucking wanker and his redheaded bitch. The same seed that a certain alchemist had locked away, fearing something. That fucker ignores all warnings and simply gives them that shit, and the idiots here accept it just like that. Is everyone in this world a fucking idiot!?" The hero shouted his frustration to the heavens, a furious punch delivered against a Man-eater plant trying to sneak behind Raphtalia. The stunned monster was quickly sliced thin by a combo of Raphtalia's sword and Shadow's metal thread wire.

Firo was happily chirping as she devoured the fruits hanging from the trees around the town. Dera was busy, slithering at a quick pace to find any remaining civilians alive. They had found a couple of children, all sickly and with roots wrapped around them, no doubt work from the big plant monster at the town's square.

The hero had half a mind to burn everything down, either with fire or his own cursed flame; however, he reigned in his anger and focused on **counterattacking** the enemies as his group walked towards what he supposed to be the boss monster.

**Bio Plant Boss LV. 47**

"Heya, big fella. You are the one causing all this fucking trouble, aren't you?" The hero darkly said, hands grasping a vial of herbicide. He had discoreved earlier, as he rescued a kid wrapped in vines, that his herbicide was also considered medicine. Add on that the various shields he had unlocked by feeding his products to his shield, and well...

**You have leveled up!**

**you have leveled up!**

**Your party has leveled up!**

The previously intimidating monster shrivelled and withered, not having the chance to face off against the Shield Hero and his party. The monster died, leaving behind many red, heart-shaped fruits. Naofumi took two in his hand, munching on one as he fed the other to his shield.

**[Bio-plant Shield unlocked]**

The hero quickly equiped the shield and checked out the skills. He smirked to himself, rapidly changing the status screen in front of him to match something more friendly.

**[Vegetal Reconstruction] Skill: Bio-Plant.**

**Mutation rate: B class(previous) - 0 (current)**

**Growth rate: A class(previous) - B class(current)**

**Reproduction rate: B class(previous) - C class(Current)**

**Fruit spawning rate: C class(previous - A class**

_Was that so fucking hard, Motoyasu? Couldn't you observe the plant for a few days before handing villagers some ancient, sealed artifact? Do I have to babysit everything you do? Think with your head a bit more, you twat, not with your dick! I swear, can this get worse?_

* * *

**AUTHOR NOTES.**

**Can it now, Naofumi?**


	8. Saint of The Heavenly Fowl and Serpent

**AUTHOR NOTES**

**Hello readers, welcome back to another chapter of "Shall I show you a True Shield?". Before we dive on the chapter, a few reviews have brought up some questions, seeing as you guys seem really curious as to where I'm going with the story, but I can't spoil it all now, right? Keep on reading to find out. Now, unto the questions:**

**VONGOLA NINJA \- I know you asked a bunch of stuff, mate, but most of them relate to the future chapters of the story, so you will have to keep on reading. Now, what I can answer is this: 1)Yes, Shadow's weapon is akin to Walter's, thanks for your input on how you enjoyed it. I also took inspiration from a bunch of other animes, such as Akame ga Kill Teigu(Imperial Arm) as even the recent Reincarnated as a Slime Anime but the core concept came from Hellsing for sure. 2) Dera will have her time for sure, but it won't come early seeing the type of creature she is (Hydra). 3) This will be the last for you. Felicia is an OOC for sure; I based her on a character from an amazing light novel I've been reading for quite some time(Kuro No Maou if you are interested).**

**HAKKYOU NO YAMI \- 1) Eclair is a Rising of the Shield Hero character, present both in the web and light novel, also she has also appeared on the manga. The anime hasn't reached her yet, but I have faith Second Season is coming soon, and with it, Eclair will appear. 2)Yes, she will. In her due time, she barely has three heads now. 3)Shadow is based on the anime appearence from the anime itself, since the studio took an original route with appearance of the "Shadow unit".**

**DRAGOON109 \- Really, dude? I don't mean to be rude with my reply, but consider this. Put youself in Naofumi's shoes and think for just a minute. You are summoned to another world against your will and are told to fight for them. The people who summoned you scorn you merely on the fact that your weapon is a shield and do their hardest to bring you down and cause your demise. You fight with teeth and nails to survive and reach where you are, resorting so far as to break one convention from your original world, slavery. Then, after all your hard work, someone whom you've never seen shows up, doesn't help you with an unreasonable race request and out of nowhere asks you to free your slave, who helps you to survive against this unreasonable world. It's like asking you to chop off one of your arms, because you have two and, you having two arms is somehow greedy, even when everyone else has two arms. So far, the only thing that hasn't betrayed Naofumi was money, since he only got his slaves because he had money. Do you get it? Naofumi still has deep hatred, massive distrust issues and rage inside his heart, he is merely holding it in for the sake of his slaves. Want me to show what happens when he has the mere ilusion he lost someone precious to him?**

**Ok ok, we are done with the answers for now. This section lasted way too long already, let's get into what you all came here for. Here is the chapter, to compensate for all the chit-chat up here. Enjoy, Ryujin maou (Draconic Demon Lord) out!**

* * *

After having modified the seeds of the Bio-plant, Naofumi left Cossete village, leaving behind a crate full of modified and pacified seeds and a message. _Don't blindly trust anyone, be it a hero or a king._ The hero guided his wagon, Firo pulling it with happy steps as she stuffed her face full of red fruit. Raphtalia sat by his side, sharpening the blade of her sword.

"Naofumi-sama, I know we took some money as payment for the job, but shouldn't we at least say our farewells? We left so suddenly after finishing the plant extermination." The raccoon girl said, eyes focused on the serious face of the hero as he busily did some calculations. His shield had returned to the [Magic Tome Shield], using the extra skill to work without having to fully ocupy his hands. The [Magic Book] bonus skill meant that Naofumi merely to think of what he wanted written and the words would appear on the pages of his book/shield. It was a fairly useful skill for quick math, specially when he quickly needed to crunch some numbers to give proper change, considering business was non-stop while on the road. He was fairly happy with the accumulated amout he had on [Void Bank Storage].

"Raphtalia, we completed the job that they requested and received the payment. There was no more reason for us to stay behind, even more so if we consider that they saw me changing shields. Might as well cut our loses here while we are still profting." Naofumi explained to the girl, making her give him a bitter smile. Raphtalia wanted to say something else, but before she could, she started coughing.

Naofumi eyed her, wondering if she had inhaled some pollen from any plant while they were on the village. He grumbled and sighed, turning around and searching among his crates of merchandise. A few seconds later, he returned to his proper position and extended his hand to his slave, a medicine vial. Raphtalia blushed at her blunder, sheating her sword and extending her hand to grab the vial. Naofumi took it out of reach at the last second, making the girl grasp air. He offered the vial again, making Raphtalia try once more to grab the remedy. Once more the hero took it out of her grasp at the last moment.

Raphtalia flared her cheeks and pouted, crossing her arms and turning her face away from the hero. "Mouuu~ Naofumi-sama! Stop treating me like a kid."

The hero lightly laughed at the girl. "Then don't behave like one. You get sick, take your medicine right away, don't wait for me to notice. My job isn't to babysit you, got it?" He finally gave the girl the glass vial, which she quickly grabbed, suspicious he would try to take it away again. She focused her look on the medicine, the orange drink which had healed her on her most needed time. Medicine her lord had crafted specially for her. A light dusting blush painted her cheeks, the girl busy staring at the vial

***SMACK**

"Hyah!" Raphtalia almost dropped her potion, the sudden headchop much unexpected. She rose her teary gaze to her hero, the man still having his hand in a knife-lke shape. He seemed ready to chop at her head again, brows raised in a questioning tone. "What are you doing, staring at the potion like that? Drink it already!" He commanded, fixing his position and focusing on the road ahead.

Raphtalia released a small, pleased sigh and drank her medicine in one go. "Thank you, Naofumi-sama!" She placed the glass vial inside another crate and looked at the nigth sky, the taste of the medicine still fresh in her mouth. _Sweet... _She took a sneak glance at the hero, his strong build. She would continue looking at him for a while, were it not for the presences she sensed looking at her. She turned her head back and found four pairs of eyes staring at her. Six yellow, slited eyes and other two hidden behind a white mask were fully focused on her. Dera and Shadow.

"Uuhh, h-hey girls-s." Raphtalia tried to start small talk. None of the two bothered to listen, Dera quickly slithering her way to coil Naofumi's waist, which surprised the hero due to the sudden added weight. Shadow continued her staring. "S-Shadow-san, is there a-anything on my face?" The rogue-like girl shifted her masked gaze somewhere else, mouthing a silenced "Nothing" as answer.

Naofumi started complaining to Dera. The Hydra had gained length, now just shy of 190 centimeters, and had become quite the bulky individual. It was surprising for sure, considering she hadn't lost one bit of her agility. Her three head nuzzled agressively against the hero, each demanding pets from him. He tried to settle the reptile down, left had firmly holding Firo's leash while the other tried to pacify the atention-seeking Hydra. His efforts were suddenly stopped as Raphtalia hugged that one right hand. "What are you guys doing? I can't drive like this, dammit!"

"Nothing, Naofumi-sama~!" Raphtalia said in a easy tone.

"Shaaaaa~!" Dera's three heads softly hissed.

"Master, no fair~! Everyone is getting clingy, while Firo is busy working! Firo wants to get clingy too~!" The philorial girl complained.

"Shadow, a little help over here please!" Naofumi asked, hoping that the rogue-like girl would be of help here. Even if it was night time, it was too hot to get like this.

* * *

**A few days later.**

Naofumi had just finished selling his products at a mid-sized village as was getting ready to continue his travels. He found it a a bit weird that there were already some people waiting for him, but he let it slide when Shadow informed him that rumors had been circulating the countryside about a famous merchant selling medicine, riding a cart pulled by a divine bird and protected by a triple-headed snake. He rose one eyebrow, considering that the rumor had somehow been enbelished. The first time he heard it, it was when he passed by a city to sell some leather armors and more medicine. It was a simple rumor about a traveling merchant and a big philorial.

The second time came when he passed a mining city, this time the rumor was that the philorial that pulled the wagon had healing powers. Miners, old people and even children had flocked to his wagon in search of medicine and word about said bird. He had Firo shut her trap to avoid any more weird rumors. There was even a small incident where some thugs tried to smooth off him by threatening his business, which was when Dera emerged from the wagon, three heads snapping and snarling at the two-bit thugs, which made the men piss their pants and pass out. Needless to say, he rushed to sell his products and go away, else the local guards could come and bother him.

Each time he found another village, town or city, it became the same thing, the rumors becoming bigger and fancier each stop on the way. He mostly left it alone, seeing as there was little he could actually do about that, and since it wasn't harming his business, he let it go. Reputation was a merchant's lifeline after all, so the hero was satisfied that he could sell so well due to the rumors.

He finished loading his wagon with another crate of empty glass vials, when someone approached him. He could stay relaxed since he had Shadow on guard duty, which meant she would take of trouble before it approached him.

"Excuse me, kind sir, but might you be the owner of this carriage?" A rather plump and gaudily dressed individual asked Naofumi, to which he nooded. The man had a properly grommed appearance and expensive, jewel-encrusted clothes. Naofumi gave the man a look-over, wondering what said man wanted with him. "Will you stop at the next town? I had plans to catch a carriage, but it seems no one is leaving for the next three days. I was wondering if you might be so kind as to take me with you? I'll pay for the ride, of course!" The plump man had a praticed smile, presenting a posture that seemed completely unthreatening as to make one lower their guard. The hero eyed the man's fingers, many rings adorning them. He looked the man in the eyes. A firm look and serious eyes combined with an easy-going expression. The hero nodded.

"Sure, hop in, we're just about to leave." Naofumi said. The man thanked him with the same fixed smile and entered the wagon. He sat on the bench installed inside and prodded his backpack at his side. Firo exited the city and soon the group was on the road again. Naofumi checked his medicine stock, trusting the philorial to no crash.

_We have enough medicine to the next city, which means we will have to camp out for a while to gather more materials. We ran out of leather armors, so hunting more monsters will also be on the menu. Upping the girls' levels and getting them better equipment will have to wait until we reach Old man Erhart. Since Shadow is good enough using Metal thread wire, I guess I can work on that new weapon for her. I hope that Erhart can work with magical threads too. A better sword and armor for Raphtalia, and I guess some upgrades for my armor._ The Hero finished his accounting, pulled out his tools and and some pieces of wood. The hero had been working on carving a guitar as a side-project. Firo was quite a great singer, fact he discovered last night when they were resting at an inn. The patrons inside were playing some local tunes and Firo, in her human form, ran straight at them and followed their singing. Soon enough, she was perfectly singing along, somehow having memorized all the lyrics.

He hopped the smith was ready to work, because the hero was coming with many projects for him.

Raphtalia was busy on his side, reading a book. Shadow was out of sight, as was Dera. Shadow being hidden was an usual thing, but Dera had started to follow in the steps of the Rogue, but instead of using her recently found stealth to ambush prey, she used it to sneak up on the hero and surprise-coil around him, demanding headpats to release him. With her out of sight, Naofumi was sure to receive a surprise later in the day.

"How lucky of me!" The merchant commented, a wide smile stretched on his face. Raphtalia rose her gaze from her book curiously, while Naofumi stopped his carving to stare at the plump man. "Riding the wagon of the Savior of the Heavenly Fowl and Sacred Tri-Sepent, it surely is a sign of luck, don't you think, sir?!" Naofumi had to supress a sudden urge to laugh at this ridiculous, chunnii-sounding (Chunni as in Chunnibiou or Eight-grade syndrome) nickname.

"Heavenly Fowl? Sacred Tri-Serpent?" Raphtalia asked, making the merchant stare back at the duo.

"You don't know? It is legend that quickly spread out recently. It states that the master of the cart pulled by the Heavenly Fowl is bringing miracles and blessings to many towns, and that those who try to cross him face the wrath of a three-headed snake known as the Tri-Sepent. That's the type of rumor that is going around in many of Melromark towns." The merchant stated rather happily. Naofumi merely chuckled.

"I don't know anything about that; I'm simply a merchant, selling goods and medicine for those that need it, nothing more and nothing less. Nothing holy or sacred about that." The hero stated, going back to his carving.

"Such humbleness is hard to see these days~" The man said, pointing at Naofumi. "You must be the one in charge of the medicines, right? You're always checking that book, so I guess that's where the secret recipes for your medicines are. Am I right?" He asked, rubbing his hands in a foxy manner, plastic smile in place.

Naofumi smiled just like the merchant, eyes closed and hands busily carving at the wood. The duo of men stared at each other for a few seconds, merchant smiles on their faces.

"I don't know what you might be talking about~" Naofumi said. The merchant laughed gaudily, if such a thing was possible, doing a series of "hohohoho"s.

"Raphtalia-nee-chan, Master is doing that weird smile again~" Firo exclaimed, head turned back to look inside the wagon.

The merchant widened his eyes with glee, clapping his hands together like an excited 10-years old kid. Naofumi groaned and face-palmed while Raphtalia tried to quiet down the nosy philorial.

"Firo! Naofumi-sama told you not to speak while we travel with strangers!" The raccoon girl reprimanded the bird, said bird whining at the girl.

"How amazing! To be able to talk and comprehend human-speech, it's only normal for the Heavenly Fowl. Sir master, might I also see the Sacred Tri-Serpent?" The plump man asked with pleading hands. Naofumi was about to reject his offer, but he suddenly found his legs bound. He looked down, finding scaly hide coiling around him. Nobody was able to speak as something tried to wrap around the Hero, horror rapidly coloring the merchant's face. He looked at the raccoon gilr, hoping for her to attack whatever beast was this, but the girl was merely face-palming, a tired sigh leaving her lips.

"Dera, fucki-..let go of my damn legs." Naofumi was pushed back on the bench as the Hydra tried coiling her entire body around him, her heads coming to nuzzle against his chest as her tongues flickered out. As the situation seemed safe, if weird, the merchant's eyes lit up once more as he found himself right in front of the supposed Tri-Serpent. He slowly extended one hand in hopes of patting the scale covered monster, but his attempts were stopped, a hand suddenly lashing out and grabbing his own. He quickly turned to the source, a robbed and masked woman, decked out in assassin/rogue-like armor.

She released his hand and shook her head sideways, before touching the busy hero on his left shoulder. "Master, this one found out bandits waiting half a click (half-kilometer) north of our position. What course of action should this worthless one take?" Shadow asked the hero, as he finally managed to wrestle the Hydra out from his legs.

Naofumi sat down and also placed Dera on the bench, patting the main head while the other two released pleased noises. "Bandits, huh? They wouldn't happen to have some connection with you, mister merchant, would they?" The hero asked, continuing his petting of the Hydra.

The merchant denied with a vigorous head shake. "It would be rather foolish of me to try to target the Savior of the Heavenly Fowl and Tri-Serpent and not expect him to have amazing bodyguards. Besides, my lord, my business is focused on magical acessories. I fear that a target was painted on my back due to my sucess, sir." The merchant said with a wry expression.

The hero analyzed the merchant's expression for a few seconds before he sighed. "Bodyguard services will cost you extra, you know that!" His words made the merchant look up at him with a amazed expression. The hero scoffed and sat down. Raphtalia, at his side, looked at him worried. _Is Naofumi-sama charging even more money on this man? To think about money even in a situation like this, Naofumi-sama is his own sort of amazing, isn't him?_

"Shadow, go ahead and prepare a little repection for our uninvited guests. We will be right behind you." Naofumi commanded. Shadow nodded and vanished quickly. "Raphtalia, get ready too." The raccoon girl also nodded and grabbed her seathed sword, strapping it on her waist. "Dera, the bandits might get rowdy, so I'm counting on you, right?" The Hydra cooed at Naofumi, nodding with vigor and holding out her head for more patting, which the hero complied with, to the burning jealousy of Firo (and secretely Raphtalia). "Firo, you heard everything! Just go ahead and stop when you see the bandits." The philorial loudly

"I was a little low on goods anyway." Naofumi said, a dark smile spreading on his face.

* * *

The wagon came to a stop as a group of men came out of the woods carrying axes, swords and the like. The leader of the group, a man with curly, light brown colored hair came to the front, leather armor and spear drapped in his hands, and shouted at Naofumi.

"Yo, Nii-chan! Pretty fancy wagon you've got here, how about letting me and the boys ride it for a while?" The bandit leader laughed, his group joining together as if some joke had been said. Naofumi just sighed. _Ok, this is just pathetic. These clowns are bandits? God dammit, they are lame. I won't even need to move a muscle._

The hero simply raised one hand up. The bandits laughed louder, thinking the hero had surrended. They became rather confused when the hero lowered said hand, pointing to them as if ordering an attack-

"Dera, Firo, Raphtalia, Shadow, five minutes, round them up and tie them when you are done." His command made the bandit leader stare in confusion at the hero, until three of his men suddenly fell down, multiple tiny cuts suddenly emerging from their exposed bodies. Out of the wagon, a raccoon demi-human rushed with quick steps, sword poised and ready to fight. The bandits quickly gathered their wits, but not before two more fell unconscious, a gift of Raphtalia's sword pommel digging into their abdomen.

The spear wielding leader tried to organize his troops, but another surprise came out of the wagon. A rather loud hissing noise errupted from the wooden cart, soon followed by the slithering of a three-headed reptilian monster with darker emerald shades of green scales. The men were suddenly paralyzed under the gaze of a proper predator. Their stunned state cost them dearly, seeing as another figure rushed into the fight. Firo came down on the bandits with strong kicks, punting many on trees or across the dirt road. Needless to say, it was not pretty for the bandits.

...

...

...

"Now, I'm only going to ask this once. Where is your hideout?" The hero stood in front of the tied-down bandits, many uncounscious either due to poison or blunt impact. The leader, now possessing a blackened eye and sporting many bruises, tried to smile in a suave manner.

"Come on now, saint, don't be like that. We only wanted the Acessory Dealer. Me and the boys neer planned to put our hands on your girl, or the monsters. You can't be that rough on your fellow brothers, we are only trying to survive out here." The bandit tried to appeal to the hero, seeing the shackle bracelet still attached to Raphtalia's wrists. The hero ignored the bandits words, focusing on their current equipement.

"Aghhh? I don't remember having asked you anything else, besides the location of your hideout! I guess I wasn't clear enought; oh, well, whan can you do? Firo, are you hungry?" Naofumi asked the bird. She approached him, her stomach emitting a rumbling noise.

"Firo is very, very hungry master." Her rumbling belly only added on the effect, the conscious bandits now trembling in fear.

"Oi oi, Saint-sama, you can't possibly be thinking on-" Naofumi interrupted the man by leaning close to him. He motioned for Firo and Dera to come closer, both monsters quickly following the command. Firo leaned on by Naofumi's left while Dera and her three heads leaned on by his right.

"I guess this is as good as any chance to have my monsters taste human flesh. Let's see if they will enjoy it." Naofumi finished his sentence with a dark smile, Firo clamping her beak shut a few times to add effect; Dera, on the other hand, used of her three heads to display crazy sharp fangs breaming with purple, poisonous gunk as she opened her three mouths and approached the bandits.

"STOP, STOP, PLEASE, WE WILL SHOW YOU THE HIDEOUT, JUST TELL THEM TO STOP, PLEASE!"

...

...

...

"And now were are being used as forced labor. What part of this guy is saint-like?" Curly hair (bandit leader) complained as he passed along the line of men various goods that his troop had stolen. All was being loaded in the Shield Hero's wagon under the watchful eyes of Shadow and Firo.

While that happened, Naofumi was busy dealing with the merchant, whom was almost clinging onto the hero as a child does to its mother. The hero pushed the plump man away from him.

"How magnificent, Sir!" The man's eyes shone like floodlights, a inner fire displayed that would put many warriors to shame. "Such innovative and agressive business operandus; you, sir, have the true soul of a merchant!"

Raphtalia, by Naofumi's side, sounded exasperated by the merchant's declaration. "We are acting as villanous as the bandits. Naofumi-sama, wouldn't it be better to simply drop them off at the next knight garrison?"

The plump merchant seemed deeply vexed by what the raccoon girl said. "Naive! A true merchant knows to deal with any business available to him. Sir Saint has what many of today's merchants lack, resolve and conviction. He made a great bargain, for there is no greater good than life. He sold back to these bandits their lives back for the cheap price of everything they stole."

"Hey hey, don't think you are getting scotch free too! They wouldn't have attacked me, if not for you. Better start counting your coins, you'll pay up too!" Naofumi exclaimed at the merchant. The man nodded with gusto.

"Of course, sir! You truly moved me! I'll deeply compensate your, sir! I shall teach you my craft, magical acessory making, and even share some of my important business contacts with you. We all shall make a true profit! Finally, a worthy soul to inherit my position!" The merchant grabbed Naofumi's cloak and hurried the hero to sit down. There would be quite a while until the bandits finished _"buying"_ their lives back and loading their goods on Naofumi's wagon.

* * *

"A plague?" The hero asked for confirmation. He had reached the town, said his farewells to the Acessory Merchant and delivered the bandits to the knight garrison. He then procceeded to set up his business, this time letting Raphtalia and Firo try their hands at peddling. He only gave them tips and advice, letting them deal with the bartering, while he worked on making potions on the wagon, all the while Shadow and Dera stayed at guard duty. He had just finished a batch of healing potions when a farmer adressed him.

"Yes, it's affecting my village. Up in the mountains of our neighborhood resided a dragon, and the Sword Hero said he wanted some dragon materials, so guided by local adventurers, he and his party went ahead and hunted it down. We don't really know what happened up there, but only the Sword hero and his party returned, and only a few days later people started to fall sick. Some people went up the mountain to examine the place and found that the cause was the rotting corpse of the dragon, left there by the Sword Hero. Monsters started appearing around it to eat the rotten flesh, and it is cursing and plaguing the village. Please, we have money over there, go sell your medicine there, I beg you!" The farmer fell to his knees in front of Naofumi.

"My daugther and my wife both are ill, and I heard that the Saint of the Heavenly Fowl had miraculous medicine! It doesn't matter the price, please, just help out!" The man rose his voice, making some people look over. Naofumi sighed heavily and picked the man from the ground. He examined the man, seeing him sweating profusely, and to make matters worse, the man had a dark, blotchy spot on his shirt in the abdomen area. Naofumi immediately dragged the man to his wagon and made him sit down.

"God fucking dammit, Ren, you are not a damn kid! Take some fucking responsability!" Naofumi almost roared in anger, literally shoving a potion on the man's mouth. The farmer recoiled in surprise, but the hero held him with a tight grip. "I'll feed you, drink it slowly!" His tone made the farmer only nod in response. As he drank the potion, the effects were almost immediate. His skin color returned, and his body temperature slowly started to go up. "Hop in the fucking wagon, we are departing right now. Girls, in, now! We have another mess to clean up." The shield hero ground his teeth so far one could be assured he would shatter them.

_Materials that easily rotten; must be the internal organs. So Ren fucking kills a dragon and does not properly dispose of the remains. Now the rotten flesh is poisoning the land, and killing people with a plague. If we add the other monsters feasting on the rotten dragon flesh, and the small chance that they can spread the plague, we could be having a fucking magical Black Plague (bulbonic Plague) in our hands, all because Sword Wanker couldn't keep his murder boner in his pants and had to kill a dragon. I swear, it's really like I'm babysitting children. What's next, Itsuki is going to fuck something up too? The fuck do I look like? Shield Hero? More like Janitor Hero, having to keep cleaning what these idiots leave behind._

It was like this that Naofumi and his party reached Yama Village.

It was obvious for the eye to see the effects of the plague, considering that any tree close to the village was tried up and dead. From the mountain it was possible to see a thick miasma emanating down, many monsters flying their way up there. The village didn't even guards stationed on the front gate; must be sick inside their homes. The smell started to pick up, rotten flesh emanating faintly, even down here in the village.

Naofumi had Firo drive the wagon until it approached the Village chief's house, where the farmer had informed Naofumi that the sick were being treated. As fast as the carriage stopped, the farmer jumped from it and tried to rush Naofumi to follow him. The hero didn't follow the man, instead he gave his orders to his slaves, like a captain commanding a battalion of soldiers.

"Dera, Firo, hunt down the surrounding monsters and garantee that they won't invade the village. Don't follow them all the way to the mountain, just secure a perimeter around the village. Shadow, Raphtalia, you are with me. We are bringing all our potions and tonics inside there." The orders were direct and simple. Naofumi himself grabbed four crates of medicine under his arms and started making his way to the Village Lord's house. The farmer opened the door for the hero, many sick people laying in the ground visible as Naofumi's leather boots thumped on ground.

Many of the sick looked at him, dead eyes lighting up at the image of rogue face. It felt somewhat awkward, having people give him looks full of hope, but the hero proceeded inside the house. A few rooms later, he entered the area where the worst cases laid on. The farmer rushed inside the room and kneeled by the side of a bed. On it, two woman laid down, tired and pale expressions smiling lightly as both mother and daughter laid eyes upon the farmer.

"I told both of you that I would bring help. Saint-sama is here with medicine, you will be saved!" The man was already crying, not finishing his sentence due to the tears. Naofumi laid down his crates and lightly pulled the man away from the two women. "NO! I have been fa-" the hero smacked the man upside the same.

"Quiet down! You are disturbing the others!"Although the hit did virtually no damage, it still carried enough force to jostle the farmer into silence. The hero put both his hands on the man's shoulders and did his best to look softly at the man. It seemed to work, as the farmer softened. "You did a good job, enduring the pain and rushing for help. I'm here now, I'll do my best. Now you need to sit down, rest, and not disturb them." An assistant of the lord came in the room carrying a bucket of water and various towels. Naofumi rushed to her, grabbed the items and told her to tend to the farmer.

The hero opened one of his crates and immediately grabbed two of the stronger potions. He wasted little time, pulling the cork of one with his teeth and pouring the liquid inside a bowl, offered by whom he supposed to be the village leader. The man was dressed into a mix of priestly and physician clothes, all in a white tone. "Name's Aral, tell me what I can help you with, sir." Good, at least he wouldn't have to waste time explaining himself.

"Make her drink this and tell me if any postules or rashes broke out. You!" The hero pointed to the assistant, the woman yelped in surprise. "My companions are bringing in more medicine; make the other patients drink it immediately. Check everyone who entered and left this building." Naofumi exclaimed, already moving unto another sick person. This time it was an older man, a craftsman for sure. This job had gotten much more complicated than what Naofumi was hoping for. It was supposed to be a delivery of potions, simple as that. Grab the money, give the potions, inform the capital about the dragon corpse and get out.

The hero pulled up the shirt of the older man, seeing various purple blotches. He poured a quarter of the potion over the man's abdomen, a hissing sound emitting from the purple areas, together with a purple miasma, akin to the one coming from the mountain where the dragon corpse laid at. The hero fed the rest to the man, his complexion becoming more relaxed as the potion took almost immediate effect. A green aura expanded from the man, and those close to him seemed to be in less pain than before.

Naofumi chalked it up to one of his shields, maybe the **[Medicine Shield]** or the **[Chesmistry Shield]**, he wasn't worried about it right now. He needed to help these ppeople. _Fucking hell, Ren! Look at the shit show you have done!_

* * *

It took three days for Naofumi and his party to administer the potions and help those sick with the plague. _Help is a generous word. My medinice can help them, but it can only do so far. The best remedy would be to get rid of the dragon corpse, but that isn't my job. I'll report to the capital, cleaning up their messes isn't my fucking job. _The hero exited the tent where he taken care of the last patient. Aral exited right beside him, a pleading look already painting his face.

"Master Naofumi, please. If you leave, we won't last!" The impromptu doctor said, some of the better villagers coming to back him up. Once again, the Shield hero found himself surrounded by pleading looks. He shook his head, making his way towards his wagon.

"I can't cure you completely, and would be lying if I said I could. I'll report to the capital and they will send one of the heroes to deal with it." Naofumi said, calling his slaves to follow him. Raphtalia looked conflicted, wainting to help out.

Aral cut off the hero, and kneeled in front of him. The villagers followed his example and all kneeled in their places. The medic pushed to the front a bag, most likely filled with money if the clinking of coins was anything to go by. "Please, sir! We will not last until the heroes reach our place. Even if they did, how could we trust them when they caused this situation in first place. Master Naofumi, what have we done to deserve this from the Sword Hero? We offer our prayers and work hard, why has the Sword done this?" Aral pleaded.

_Not this shit again._

"FUCK!" Naofumi roared a curse. He scratched his hair and crossed his arms over his chest. "Fine, we'll fucking do this! Don't come complaining to me later, since you are the ones who offered the money first!" Naofumi exclaimed loudly. He raised his hand and called out for his girls to come closer. "Change of plans, we will clean up the mess Ren left behind." He explained and then grabbed the moneybag. A quick flick of his wrist and the bag was sucked inside the green gem of his **[Magic Tome Shield].** Aral and the villagers widened their eyes as Naofumi's book changed shape, becoming the imposing **[Chimeric Viper Shield].**

**[Chimeric Viper Shield]**

**-Increase in defense +50; **

**+Passive skills: ****Increased Poison Resistance (Medium); Chain Shield; **

**+Bonus skill: Venom Snake Hook (Medium); Detoxify (Higher)**

"A Shield? Don't tell me!"

"No way! Is Master Naofumi..."

The hero hopped in his wagon, his party members ready for battle. Firo rushed to her position to carry the wagon, Dera rushed to coil around Naofumi, resembling more a vest than a belt now, Raphtalia was at his side and Shadow sat on the roof of the wagon.

"Keep the rest of the potions, don't hesitate to drink them if someone gets worse. You paid me, I'll deal with your problem. From the beginning I told you, I'm no saint, just a merchant. Don't worry," He proclaimed, and while many villagers were confused by the sudden appearance of the hero, his next words would start something that would reach the capital of Melromark and shake the core of the religion of the Three Heroes. "I am the Shield Hero, my duty is to protect!"

* * *

The group rode on the wagon up the mountain, the monsters quickly fleeing at their sight. With the exception of Firo and Dera, everyone wore a bandana cloth over their nose nad mouth, a precaution against the thick miasma.

They quickly found the corpse of the dragon, the creature left to rot in such a ugly fashion. Naofumi wasn't the most sympathetic person out there, but even he felt some pity for the creature. In any fantasy setting, dragons would be the pinacle of strenght and power, rising above most common creatures. Seeing the sight of the rotting corpse of this one made Naofumi offer a quick prayer for such a disrespect against such a creature.

"Naofumi-sama, how will we deal with the corpse?" Raphtalia asked, bringing a axe with her.

The hero eyed the body from a few angles. "I wanted to bury it, but considering the damage it has done so far, absorbing it with the shield my be the best way. Let's break it into smaller parts, otherwise I can't feed it to the shield. Firo, Dera, deal with the monsters around it; work will progress faster if we aren't disturbed by them trying to feed." The Philorial and the Hydra nodded, moving to attack the monsters. As they did so, Naofumi and the girls got closer to the corpse.

Raphtalia stopped walking, ears twitching and moving.

"Raphtalia, what's wrong?" The hero asked.

"Did the corpse just move?" The raccoon girl asked out loud, making Naofumi shake his head sideways.

"It's dead, there should be no-" The corpse twitched, interrupting the hero in his line of thought. _No fucking way!_

"Master, this worthless one believes she saw the dragon move!" Shadow grimmly said, one hand drawing a dagger while the other shifted, showing the glittering of Metal Thread Wire.

Indeed, they all saw it. The decaying dragon suddenly started moving, his rotten flesh returning at a rapid pace. The dragon let out a strange roar, alerting Firo and Dera of its ressurection. They rushed to Naofumi's side.

Adrenaline flooded his system with an intense rush as fight or flight instinct acted for the second time since Naofumi had arrived in this world. Fighting a zombie dragon would be hard, if the regeneration it had showed before would acompany it; fleeing also sounded unreasonable. If he, by some miracle, managed to flee, the zombiefied creature would rampage and attack the Yama Village first, before proceeding to attack whatever was on its way. Naofumi had to defeat it now.

"Firo! Distract it with quick attacks! Don't overstay, attack and retreat! Dera! Mount Firo, focus on physical attacks! Whip any weak points or something, just don't get caught. It's not regenerating its horns or fangs, but any attack from it will still hurt." He shouted, his orders and firmly held his shield in place as a tail attack came his way. "**Air Strike Shield!**" The magical shield didn't manage to stop the attack and broke under the strenght of the zombie dragon, but it weakened the blow enough that Naofumi managed to stop it, althought just barely, making his arms a bit numb. "Raphtalia, Shadow, look for chances to immobilize or damage it; if you feel any dangerous attack coming your way, rush back to me! We all will make it out here alive!"

"Yes, Naofumi-sama!"

"Yes, Master!"

The duo of girls rushed from behind Naofumi. Raphtalia's sword slashed at the dragon's ankles, but the flesh was too tough for her to properly cut. She quikly retreated, switching positions with Shadow, who used her Metal Thread Wire to entangle the smae leg. The rogue-like assassin pulled her metal threads, their grinding against the rotten flesh producing a low humming noise as they dug deeper then Raphtalia's sword. The rogue abandoned that lenght of thread, seeing as the dragon stomped at her, which she managed to slip by unharmed.

The dragon tried to follow up the attack, but Firo body-checked the being in the face; attack followed by Dera, who used her tail like a powerful whip to deal a devastating blow against the underside of the dragon's jaw, making the zombie flinch back. Firo took the chance and swung her feathery arms down, wind slashes coming out and slicing the dragon's abdomen.

Fuck, we can actually do this! Naofumi chanted on his mind. He tightened his fist and started a chant, magic swirling around his shield. "_I, the Shield Hero, have discovered the principles of thy laws. Nature, become my strenght and protect my allies from any harm._ **First Minor Aura**." As his chant ended, Naofumi casted a supportive spell. All his slaves were covered in a thin layer of magic, their defenses ampted up. It wouldn't protect them from a full blow from the zombie dragon, but it would give him time to heal them in case anything happened.

They were about to attack once more, but the zombie dragon acted first, breathing deeply and spatting out a thick stream of noxious fumes. Naofumi rushed to block the blow, being the one with the strongest resistances against poison. What he wasn't expecting was that the breath attack was merely a distraction, hiding the true attack behind it, a swipe from the dragon. The hero took the blow full force, being launched against the mountainside with the force of a speeding truck.

"Naofumi-sama!"

"Master!"

"Shaaaaaaa!"

"Master~!"

The girls' worried voices barely reached the hero. He was burried under stones, his right eye sight being dyed in red colors. He touched the tender area over his brow, finding blood staining his gloved hands. He tried to stand up, his body feeling like a bit sore. He focused a bit, managing to cast a First Quickheal on himself, and rose out of the pile of rocks he was under.

Firo was rushing the dragon, attacking the undead furiously. Dera was not riding the philorial anymore, the Hydra managing to coil around one of the dragon's hind legs, where she was wrapping herself rather tightly. The hero's hearing was ringing a bit, but he could swear he was hearing bones snapping under pressure. Raphtalia's sword was a blinding flash, the raccoon girl hacking and slashing at any part she could. Naofumi found himself being helped by Shadow.

The rogue girl usually hid her expressions very well, but right now he could see her right fist tightly closed, trembling as if struggling to contain a flood.

The dragon roared, the sound distorted by his rotten vocal chords, but something about the roar resonated with the hero.

_Out...way..._

_*#!...kshfconc...Sword..._

_jiaautbe...Daugh...jionn*/*#_

**_GGGYYYYAAAOOOOHhhhh!_**

His green gem started to shine with a red glare. Naofumi was feeling some weird kinship with this rotten being. The rage this dragon was showing Naofumi, it was familiar; like they had something in common. The hero's green eyes tried to focus on the dragon's own eyes, but the rotten orbs never focused on him. Insted, the hero could see inside the rotten abdomen of the dragon, something shining. Akin to the gem in his shield, a lustrous orb was embedded inside the dragon's chest, and Naofumi was sure that such a gem was much more. It called out to him, a form of power that was asking to be freed from such an unsightly form. Rotten flesh was not a worthy vessel of such power.

Before the hero could resonate any deeper with the power, the dragon managed to free its hind leg. The undead bucked his leg, kicking Dera away with a ferocious kick and launching the Hydra at Firo. The philorial wasn't expecting the surprise and was hit middair by the thrown serpent. The undead creature laughed in a grotesque form, before lunging to try and devour the duo of stunned monsters.

!

!

!

***SSSSWWWOOOOOOOSHHHHHHH***

"_GGGGYYYAAAAOOOOHHHHHHHHH!_" The dragon, so cocky and confident, was now screaming in pain, if such a concept was would ever be know by the undead. It should not be able to feel such a thing, but the flames that were now burning at its flesh hurt. They hurt much deeper than simple flesh burns. The dragon felt as if his own core was being hurt by something much more powerful than itself. Something unknown to this world. A power that had forcefully being born here, birthed not by the natural order, but by the power of a hero. The only beings capable of such Eldritch power were the heroes and their holy weapons. How did this undead dragon, whose mind should have corroded away, managed to remember this was uncertain.

Firo managed to get her bearings, flapping her wings to land on the ground. Dera hissed at the dragon, her emerald green scaled hide sporting a ugly, purple bruise in the shape of a dragon's claws. The duo of monsters looked at the dragon burning in blackened flames, and then returned their gaze at their master.

Shadow was staring at her master, whom previously was hurt, now holding a black shield with man red flames spread out. His eyes had darkened, gaining a terrifying glint of darkness as he slowly started walking towards the rotten dragon. Raphtalia, who was furiously attacking the dragon, now hid her mouth with her hands, seeing her master emit such ominous aura.

"Naofumi-sama, you can't...it's just like before...you can't!" The raccoon girl extended her hand to try and pacify her master. The flames around him repelled her, not singing her, but not allowing her approach. Shadow appeared on her side, stopping the girl from advancing more against something.

The dragon roared once more, swiping one claw to blow away the hero. The undead stared in confusion when the hero didn't budge an inch, mereley holding out his shield to block the blow.

"**Burn.**"

The order sounded much more like a statement. Like burning should be the dragon's natural state.

Indeed, burn it did. From the red gem of the shield, an explosive force blew away the dragon's attacking limb, the rotten flesh and bones melting the offending limb into a stump as the dragon recoiled from the flames.

"**[Self-Immolation Curse]!**" Naofumi's twisted voice commanded the cursed flames, a gout of fire emerging on his hand like an obbedient pet. "Yo**u** w**an**t **t**o take **a**w**a**y my **pre**cious slave**s?** My precio**us** peo**p**le from **me? T**hen, you are just like the others. You can burn away, like the rest of the shitty people of this fucking kingdom." The hero continued walking towards the dragon. The undead roared at the hero and went down for a bite attack.

"Naofumi-sama! Please!" Raphtalia shouted at him, making the hero stop his crusade. He slowly turned his head at her, eyes brimming with power. "You are the noble Shield Hero, Naofumi-sama! Please, don't lose to your hatred!" He blinked, the red haze on his mind not fully lifting, but easing up. He had released his cursed flames around him, but his orders were for the cursed fire to not touch his comrades. He was sure of it. Yet, there they were.

Raphtalia and Shadow. Both had dark patches covering a few spots of their bodies, the same burn marks that addorned the undead dragon rushing his way. The hero felt self-hatred raise once more, for he had hurt his precious girls. Firo and Dera seemed to be out of range from the cursed flames burning a few patches of the mountainous ground, the Philorial and Hydra right behind the girls to help them escape in case anything bad happened. Naofumi refocused on the charging dragon, the creature a few meters away from him.

_Whose fault is this? They are hurt! Raphtalia, Shadow, Dera, Firo. Is it my fault? Ren's, for not taking proper care of his business? The dragon, for being weak and dying to that idiot? Why is this happenning? _

The hero stared at the dragon, the undead opening its fang-less jaws to swallow him whole. Naofumi prepared his cursed shield. The cursed fire is too risky. I let the girls get hurt because I couldn't control it properly. The dragon reached him and the jaws closed around the hero.

***GRAB***

Yet they couldn't finish the job. The undead dragon tried putting more strenght in its jaws, but the undead muscles weren't capable to fully closing around the hero. He had a hold of the lower jaws of the zombie, and with a show of raw, brute strenght, he started pushing the dragon. The girls, on the verge of tears, widened their eyes as the cursed flames didn't active like before, instead the hero was pushing the dragon away from them.

"You **gir**ls!" He shouted. "Stay there a**n**d sit tight. **I'**ll ta**k**e care of this t**hi**ng far **e**noug**h** and co**me** back. F**ir**o, Der**a**, prote**ct** t**he**m." Naofumi finished, shouting in effort as he started to push the dragon more and more far away from the girls. The undead flailed and trashed about, but he hero never released his grip on the rotten flesh. Inch by inch, demonstrating the physical strenght buff granted to him by the **[Shield of Anger (Shield of Wrath I)]**, the hero hauled the fighting undead away from the girl's sight. He had a weapon to fight the regenerating monster, but if he stayed close to the girls, he would end up hurting them. He wouldn't allow them to see his ugly side. Just this once, the Shield Hero would fight by himself.

Raphtalia tried to stand up, but the small burns around her body sapped her of any strenght. She couldn't understand why her master was willing to use such a dark power. She had asked him to share his burdens with her, yet here he was, carrying his weight by himself. Tears ran down her face as she embraced the hooded and cloaked individual by her side. "Why must Naofumi-sama do this? We could all have work together and defeated it."

Shadow merely embraced the raccoon girl, running a soothing hand on her hand in circling motions. She wouldn comfort her companion, but wouldn't speak about the incident. She knew why her master was doing such a thing. Nothing they could do would kill the undead, the monster would simply regenerate again and again, it was a dragon after all. She understood why he had called for the fight. If they didn't stop the monster here, it would kill innocent civilians for sure. But then they found out how weak they truly were. That her master had to use such a ominous and cursed power, it spoke lenghts of her incompetence.

***SWWWWOOOOOOSSSSSSSSHHHHHH***

An enourmous flame explosion was heard, the dying screams of the undead dragon resonated throughout the mountain. A one hour later, their master came back. Like a veteran coming from an exhausting mission, the hero slowly walked their way, dragging behind him a great deal of monster materials, especially a shiny, purple orb he carried in his right hand. He dropped the materials close to their wagon and approached the girls, his face sour and wry.

He chanted healing magic, using it again and again on the girls until he ran out of MP, but even then he continued chanting, even when nothing else happened. The tired and still burnt girls approached him, making the shield hero flinch. Instead of a slap or berating words, Raphtalia hugged him, throwing all the weight of her body against the hero. Shadow contended herself with hugging his back.

"Naofumi-sama." Raphtalia called his attention. "Good job on taking care of the zombie dragon." The raccoon girl weakly rose her hand to pat Naofumi's messy mop of black hair.

He felt Shadow's hold on him tighten as she followed in the example of the raccoon demi-human. "Master, this worthless one compliments your ability to kill the undead dragon."

The hero bit his lips to avoid releasing a pathetic sound, even as his eyes moistened. He hugged the girls back, lifting their frames from the ground and carrying them to the wagon. "Firo, Dera, look alive. We will sweep up the area and return to Yama Village."

* * *

A hissing sound and a foul smoke were released from Raphtalia's bandaged arm, which Aral (Yama Village's lord and doctor) was wrapping up.

"I have never seen such a strong curse, sir. Was it from the dragon's rotten flesh?" The doctor asked the hero, dipping another set of bandages in some holy water. Naofumi was about to speak up, but Raphtalia cut him off.

"Yes, I mistakenly touched its rotten flesh and was cursed." She declared firmly, to which Naofumi had no choice but accept.

"I see. We owe you our deepest gratitude, Sir Shield-sama. I'm sorry to say, but out holy water is not strong enough to lift the power of this curse. I can administer first aid, but if you want to lift this curse, Holy water of the highest quality is needed." Aral explained, finished with bandaging Raphtalia. "The treatment is quite simple sir, simply let the affected areas soak in holy water and it will slowly lift the curse. Your shield yields great power, so if you treat your comrades, the effects will be even stronger." Aral pointed to Shadow,laid down on th bed next to Raphtalia, and who was only sporting her mask and civilian clothes. He left another basin filled with whatever holy water he had and another set of bandages. "I'll leave you and your party to rest, sir."

As the man left the room, Naofumi immediately collected the items and repeated the process, soaking bandages in holy water and wrapping them on the visible cursed areas.

The silence was awkward, specially since Firo, in her human form, looked at the smoking bandages with a fearful face.

"I'm sorry." Naofumi said, wrapping Shadow's right arm. "I lost control and got your girls hurt as a result. I simply-" Shadow grabbed his hand and pointed to Raphtalia.

"Master, this worthless one is not great with comforting or kind words, I believe such expertise lies within Raphtalia-san. Please, listen to her words and calm thy heart. Take her words as this one's too." The brunette said, her hand holding her master's.

The hero looked at Raphtalia, waiting for the raccoon girl to speak her mind.

"Naofumi-sama, just as you care for us, we care for you. Please, don't let such a dark power consume you. I got scared that you would go and wouldn't come back. Train us, let us be your strenght; let's all work hard, for you!" The raccoon demi-human said with a amorous expression.

The hero softened his brow, a small smile coming to his lips. "Yeah."

"AHHH! Master smiled!" Firo shouted, rushing to hug him. Dera, on a corner of the room, began slithering her way towards him, letting her three heads sit on his lap.

* * *

It took more three days for Naofumi and his group to leave Yama Village. Time they took to recover as best as they could, patrol the village and help fend off any remaining monster from the mountain. The hero took his time to sort throught the zombie dragon materials he acquired, making sure to properly desinfect the bones and leather he managed to salve from his onlaught of cursed flames.

The group descended the mountainous village and were making their way back to the capital. They camped by the roadside and were making a few rounds in search of monsters. So far nothing had come their way, so the group was merely walking leisurely.

"Master~! Firo is sensing some tasty snacks up front." The philorial cheerfully said, licking her beak. The hero rose one eyebrow, looking at the direction the bird pointed out. He could just make out the shape of some bird-like creatures and someone within the beasts.

They walked towards them, Shadow already her vanishing to scout and likely trap whatever it was. They walked a few minutes and found out that the "tasty snacks" Firo was mentioning were in fact, wild philorials. Amidst them a girl with blue hair and a blue, decorated dress was feeding the glutton birds. Naofumi felt like smacking Firo upside the head.

"They are wild philorials, your kin! That's canibalism, Firo!" Naofumi complained as they approached the group.

"I can defeat them real quick, if master wants~!" Her easy-going tone added with the saliva dripping from her mouth made Naofumi certain that, if he gave ther order, Firo would truly hunt those philorial.

He face-palmed, rubbing his forehead a bit to alleviate the small headache he felt was about to approach when the girl in the middle of the wild philorials glanced his way, her eyes settling over Firo's bird form. Her orbs shone with stars. As she distracted herself with Firo, the other philorials left in a rush, leaving the girl looking a bit desolate.

She looked at the dust cloud left by the philorials and waved at them, before she turned back to Firo and began approaching her. Eyes wide and sparkling, she spoke out.

"What is your name?" She asked Firo, one hand reaching out to pat the big bird. Firo happily responded.

"Firo is Firo~!" The answer almost made the girl dressed in blue to squeal like a fangirl. She searched her dress' pockets and pulled out some dried beef.

"Firo-chan! Do you want some jerky?!" The dried meat was gulped down in one bite, and the blue haired girl couldn't look happier. "Ahh! How cute! I'm Meru!" As the girl, Meru, and Firo talked, Naofumi took a few seconds to stare at the kid. He rubbed his chin, noticing that he had began growing some facial hair, and wondered why her face seemed so familiar. He shrugged and called out to Firo.

"Hey Firo, why don't you play with her for a while?" The idea was appreciated by both the girl and Philorial, which began singing and playing about. "Yeah, go have some fun. Just be back before nightfall!" The duo left him at a impressive speed.

"Naofumi-sama, why did you let Firo go?" Raphtalia curiously asked. It was hard for her master to be kind to someone, specially to unknown people.

"Her dress. She is rather fancily dressed, which tells me she must be a daughter of some merchant or some rich folks. We let her play a bit and we might just pocket some cash." He explained, signaling his hand up and calling for Shadow. A few seconds later, the masked girl was by his side.

"Shadow, I remember you said you have worked for Melromark before, is she the daughter of some big shot?" He asked.

Shadow seemed stiff, but nodded her head.

"See, we can expect some nice payment if we let her have some fun, besides, Firo is the best bodyguard right now." Naofumi said.

_He was about to find himself some trouble, but that's for the next chapter._


	9. Troubles pilling up, Such useless Heroes

Naofumi sat on the bed of his room in the inn, checking out the statuses of his companions. He was intrigued, considering the girls' levels had capped out at Lv.40, and had a golden star next to their names; which only made it weirder, taking in consideration that he had turned Lv.41 yesterday. The hero pondered or a while, hopping to reach an answer soon.

He shrugged, right hand scratching his chin. _I need to shave soon_, was what went through his mind. Raphtalia entered the room a few moments later, Shadow a few steps behind her. Naofumi motioned for the girls to come closer, showing the screen to both of them.

"Any of you know why there is a star close to your names? You also stopped leveling up." He asked. Raphtalia gave him a helpless look, shaking her head sideways.

Shadow, on the other hand, seemed taken aback by the screen.

"This worthless one knew leveling up with the heroes brought on amazing results, but for us reach promotion levels this early, master really blessed this pathetic shadow." Naofumi rose one of his brows as Shadow went on her knees and took off her mask. "Master, this worthless one forgot to mention, with all the recent events, but Raphtalia-dono, Firo-san, Dera-san and this wothless one have reached our peak-performance by levels alone. Right now we need to head back to the capital to perform Class Upgrade."

"Class Upgrade?" Naofumi asked. As his eyes focused on Shadow's individual profile, her information screen expanded and one line shone in particular, the job function. He couldn't see more as the lines were greyed out, but it was obvious that there were more options for the girls to get stronger. "Guess we are going back to the capital then." He sighed, some frustration slipping in on his voice. "Let's just get this done with quickly so that we can hit the road."

The girls nodded. Naofumi closed off his menu and was about to reach for one of his grimores to read when Firo rushed inside the room like a child topped off on sugar. She ran up to him and began circling around him, telling the hero about her new and _awesome_ friend. Naofumi off-handedly acknowledged her remarks, busy on with his grimore. It was when Shadow suddenly dissapeared that the hero rose his atention, noticing a new person entering his room.

Blue, frilly dress and a proper appearance beffiting a noble, Meru entered his room. The girl stopped when she was close enough for a proper conversation, presenting herself full of manners, reminding him of some mangas he had read when a noble-type character was introduced.

"Excuse me for the disturbance, Saint-sama. I was wondering about the possibility of you allowing me to ride your carriage until we reach Melromark's capital." The girl looked down for a bit, raising her eyes to match his and finish her request. "I ended up separated from my guards, and haven't managed to find them. Please, only until the capital."

Naofumi eyed her for a while. _What kind of useless guards would leave such a prim and proper girl out here? She seems to be high-born, so leaving her like this will surely bring about harsh punishment for those guys. Well, fuck it, it's not my problem if they are incompetent, more money for me. _He continued his examination of the girl, trying to pick out any other detail. She resembled someone he knew for sure, but the question was who.

Raphtalia and Firo hugged his arms, the blonde loli being the overly clingy one.

"Come on, master~!" Firo begged, pulling the left sleeve of his casual shirt.

"Naofumi-sama, we are going to the capital anyway, there is no harm in bringing her with us, right?" Raphtalia said, hands resting on his right shoulder.

The hero kept his pose for a few instants, arms crossed over his chest. After a while, Naofumi released a sigh.

"Your papa better have some filled-up pockets." He said to Meru, the girl's eyes lighting up in hapiness.

"Of course, father will pay for sure!" Meru kept a smile on her face. She bowed to Naofumi and exited his room. "I'll wait for you in the morning!" With this said, the blue haired girl left.

The hero eyed the open door with annoyance. He grumbled something under his breath while Firo ran and played inside the room. Naofumi looked for Dera, the now four-headed snake curled up close to his bed, almost like a puppy. A scaled, 200-pound (90 Kg), four-headed puppy, but hey, it's the thought that counts. Anyway, the hero closed the door and walked back to his bed. He waved his hand in the air, clicking his fingers twice. Shadow descended from her hinding spot on the roof, appearing at his side.

"Now, Shadow, mind informing me who is miss blue-and-manners there?" Naofumi asked in a calm manner, eyes more focused on reading his grimore. Shadow shifted in place, seemingly not comfortable with something. "Shadow?" He focused his gaze over the girl.

"..." Her response continued to be silence.

_Sigh~ _Naofumi released a rather high sounding sigh, making Raphtalia and Firo look his direction. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, figuring something troublesome was about to drop on his lap. "Firo, Raphtalia, mind stepping outside and giving us some privacy?" Naofumi asked.

Raphtalia looked right into his eyes, her soft-colored pupils staring into his green ones. After a few seconds, the girl nodded. "Sure, Naofumi-sama! Let's go, Firo. Naofumi-sama has something important to talk with Shadow-san."

Firo pouted and started whining, throwing her arms up in childish tantrum. "No way~! Shadow wants to get clingy with master alone~!"

The raccoon girl took a few minutes, but she managed to hoist Firo on her shoulders and carry the blondie away from the room. "Naofumi-sama, just call us if you need something." The japanese man nodded.

With the girls out of the room, Naofumi let Shadow in her previous position for a while as he focused on his grimore. A few minutes of silence passed, the only sounds came from the farther side of the inn, some patrons eating, drinking, and talking loudly, if the sound could reach his room. The girl shifted in her place, the Shield hero content on reading the grimore.

"You can start anytime now, Shadow." Naofumi said, still fully-focused in his grimore. He waited for the girl to start her explanation, passing pages of his book rather slowly.

"M-Master...t-this worthless o-one..." Her speech came out trembling and her voice seemed to crack a few times. Naofumi was aware that sometimes he could come out as a stand-off person or intimidating, but for someone from his own party to become like this, it was a surprise for sure. He closed the grimore and placed the leather-bound book on the matress, focusing on his slave. His eyes trailed her form, a slim build with only necessary muscles. Slender and precise fingers, white skin just slightly tanned, but now blemished by his mistake. Dark purple-black spots, proof of his cursed flames and his lack of control over his own hatred marred her skin. The hero presented one hand to the rogue/assassin girl.

"Come on, away from the ground. You and Raphtalia are still in treatment, don't be in a rush to kneel like that. Besides, it's still weird for you to do that." He said, hand still extended to grab the girl's. As Shadow took too long to comply, he closed the distance and grasped her hand, pulling her away from the ground and setting her by his side. "Now, let's try this again. What about Meru got you so spooked?" He tried to soften his face and speech, but the growing stubble only added to the intimidation factor.

Shadow, whom was wearing civilian clothes too, visibly relaxed as his voice softened somewhat. She, rather shyly, rose one hand to grasp at his black, long sleeved shirt. A few breathing exercises later, the girl matched his gaze, her soft brown pupils focusing on his green ones. "Master, the one you call Meru is royalty. Her true name is Melty Q. Melromark, she is the second princess of Melromark, and the one chosen to assume the throne when Queen Mirelia is relieved of her duties." The words that exited Shadow's mouth were like a bomb on the Shield Hero's lap.

_Fuck, so that's why I was finding her face so familiar; she is fucking royalty. Wonder-fucking-ful! Why not, right!_

The gem on the **[Magic Tome Shield]** started being dyed in red tones, Naofumi's anger riling up. He closed his eyes, right hand shooting to grab Shadow's left one. The move startled the girl, making her flinch, but she stayed by his side.

_She is still here. Raphtalia, Firo are still here. They haven't taken them away from me. Shadow is here, Dera is here. There is nothing to worry about, they are safe by my side._

**...But are they?**

Naofumi breathed deeply, his left hand coming to massage over his eyelids in circular motions. Shadow's left hand, which was in his grasp, increased her hold on his. He opened his eyes and looked at her. She flinched a bit, but managed to maintain composure.

"Master, I was scared of your reaction when hearing about Melty-sama. When I was under the Queen's orders, she requested that we suport Melty-sama, seeing as her first daugther is...master has knowledge."

"She is a bitch!" Naofumi filled-in her sentence, hanging back his head to calm himself. "Shadow. You know my circumstances in depth; you know why I can't trust people. I need to know, Shadow," The hero turned his head to the girl, his eyes fully focused on her frame. The girl found herself under the staring eyes of the Shield Hero, the green pupils so soft before, now having becoming something rather fearsome, that with their sudden slitted shape. "With whom lies your loyalty."

The girl felt a metaphorical sledgehammer hitting her. Her master was doubtful of her loyalty due to her actions. Even if non-intentionally, she had withheld information from him, and that rift made him suspicious. She had made her master suspicious. He, whom saved her from a pityful death, and had chosen to put his hopes in her, wasting his precious money and time by taking care of her and raising her once more to her current powerful self.

The rogue/assassin rose from her seat beside her master and stood right in front of him; her fingers made short work of the strings that held her top in place with no hesitation whatsoever. The clothing fell, revealing her bound chest. Quickly and precisely, her fingers unbound the cloth that protected her moderate chest. Naofumi sputtered, seeing the girl undress herself with speed. He was about to say something, but found his throat to be suddenly dry.

"Master." Shadow called his atention to her face, which his eyes quickly rose to match. Different from Raphtalia and Firo, whom he saw as daugthers, Shadow didn't had any massive appearance changes since he bought her from the Slave Dealer. She had filled up, of course, since she was no longer starving, but she didn't suddenly became older or changed from a bird to a girl. Combined with her usual calm and collected behavior, you couldn't blame Naofumi for not having a proper response to her current actions. "Look here, please." The place she was beckoning him to look at was her abdomen, more specifically her chest.

The hero kept his eyes focused on hers, but she grabbed his face and lowered it, making he look at her chest. Moderate B-cup breasts, lovely shaped, just like two small mounds, with her nipples being of an amazing pink color. Naofumi's face went scarlet, but soon his eyes found what he supposed she was trying to make him see. The cursed slavery crest painted in the middle of her chest.

"This is the mark of my master. I serve the one who painted this crest in my chest, no one else. There is no shame in showing this to master, for this worthless self has nothing of her own anymore. Anything that I have, belongs to master as my rightful owner." Shadow's tone was serious. Naofumi couldn't help but stare at the crest. He had enslaved a person. He certainly was no saint or hero. Yet, he couldn't find any shame or guilt in his heart. The hero nodded to the girl, eyes raising from the crest to her soft brown pupils, his own pupils turning back to their round, emerald green shape from before.

Shadow then proceeded to sit on his lap, hugging his chest and resting her head on his right shoulder.

"Ehh, Shadow?" Naofumi's somewhat nervous voice questioned the girl. "You know, if the girls return and see us like this, they will make a fuss." The hero turned his face away from the girl's, trying to ignore the mounds pressing against his chest, separated only by the layer of cloth that was his shirt. "Besides, it must be embarassing for a girl to be topless in front of a man." Naofumi tried focusing on anything else that wasn't Shadow.

The girl shook her head sideways, arms hugging around his neck, making the hero's head snap her way with speed, her chest firmly pressed against his. "Everything this worthless one has belongs to master. If he were to take what is his, no one would complain." The brunette spoke those words close on his ears. The hero once more blushed, his body showing a physical reaction he hoped it wouldn't right now. Under his rough and brute-ish behavior, Naofumi was still a man, and while he had been more focused on his survival, he was still a man.

The two never perceived the small shine of an orb tucked away inside the hero's belongings.

**Yours for the taking...**

_**...my...property...**_

His hands rose from their position at his sides and slowly rose to Shadow's shapely and lightly toned hips. And-

_Rapist._

_..._

_..._

_..._

He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back from his frame.

"Thank you for your full trust in me, Shadow. I-I...Let's wait for the girls to come back. We have a full morning tomorrow." He stated, eyes focusing on the gem of his shield.

Shadow seemed surprised, but then she quickly rose from her position. "Master, this worthless one begs your forgiveness!" The hero waved off, head turned away from her naked chest. The girl quickly redressed herself and sat by his side on the bed. The silence that followed was somewhat awkward, none willing to start conversation again.

Shadow slowly moved her hand until it lightly touched the hero's, which made him turn his head slightly towards her. He turned his hand, making the palm face upwards. Shadow then eased her hand unto his.

"Master, I belong to you."

**[Confidant's Shield unlocked] [Companionship Shield unlocked] **

Something warm pulsed in Naofumi's heart . It happened the first time with Raphtalia, now again, as these words left Shadow's mouth.

Maybe there was a reason as to why he had been chosen as Shield Hero. Naofumi squeezed Shadow's hand, a tiny smile slipping on his lips.

* * *

Two days on the road and the group was close to the capital. The trip had been somewhat uneventful, nothing outstanding had happened while the group was the road.

There was the fact that the previous night, Naofumi almost had a heart attack when he only found Melty's clothes on the ground next to a sleeping Firo. He, Raphtalia and Shadow had immediately hounded the philorial, only to find the bluenette had taken off her clothes and dove right into Firo's feathery embrace. It was a surprising discovery, finding out that Firo could hold a person inside her fluffy feathers. Outside of that, he kept his interactions with the royal girl to a minimum; it would not do for him to be acused of kidnapping or something like that.

Besides, who would know what she had in her mind. Shadow tried to assure him that Melty was not like her sister, but the hero stuck to his own experiences. The fruit doesn't fall far from the tree, so the girls had surely inherited some atributes from their mother. He surely wasn't going to stick around to find out for himself.

They reached the capital during day-hours, the hero instructing Firo to go towards Erhart's shop. He parked his wagon behind the store, letting Firo take a short brake as he and the girls took off their armors and weapons, donning civilian clothes.

Melty (still thinking he knew her by Meru) bowed to him. "Thank you very much, Saint-sama. I'll be sure to talk to my father about your payment." She even did a curtsy, bowing her head with elegance expected from royalty. Naofumi did his best to not get annoyed.

"Firo, take her to her home and be sure to collect our reward." He instructed the overly excited blond girl. She threw her arms in the air in excitment, happy that she would be a few more minutes together with her friend.

"Farewell, Saint-sama!" With that, Firo escorted Melty back to the castle. Naofumi released a sigh.

He clicked his fingers, Shadow dropping down from the roof of the carriage. "Think she knew you were there?" He asked the rogue/assassin. She shook her head.

"Melty-dono was entirely unaware of my presence, master." She said.

Naofumi nodded, making Raphtalia glance curiously at the two. He dispelled her worries and headed inside the shop, the girls following in right behind him.

The door bell did its job of telling the smith that customers had entered, so the tanned man turned to see his clients. Seeing the familiar face of the Shield Hero, Erhart couldn't help but smile.

"Look who it is, my favorite customer! Shield-nii-chan, welcome in!" The man exited his counter and came close to the hero, a thick hand slamming on the back of the japanese. Naofumi barely moved from the blow, although he was sure anyone else would be crippled from such a blow. "What can I help you with?"

Naofumi dropped his armor on the counter, together with the materials from the zombie dragon, including the dragon core. "Found myself some top-notch stuff and was in need of an upgrade, can you get to that? The girls also need some top gear, so don't mind the price." Naofumi changed his shield to the **[Currency-Holder II Shield], **the previous little chest atop now resembling a magnific treasure chest filled with miniature glittering coins.

Raphtalia was the first to protest. "Naofumi-sama! Don't you think you are expending a little too much with us? Your gear is just as important!" He waved off her concerns. Shadow was about to voice her opinions too, but Naofumi extended his hand to her first.

"Shadow, give me your Metal Thread Wire." With no hesitation, she gave her neat spool of metalic thread to her master. The hero put the spool on the counter, showing the weapon to the smith.

"I wanted to know if you could mix this with these." Naofumi also pulled from his hip pouch another spool, this one having a black, glistenning thread. The same thread she had spun back when the group was making Firo's current dress. "Can you mix these two? Combine them into one, just like mixing two metals to make a stronger one?" The smith looked at the spools with a thoughtful face, hands coming to scratch his goatee as his burly arms were crossed over his chest. A few moments and the smith nodded.

"Sure thing! I love a good challenge, this one, combined with your new armor will be great work! Give me two days; now, for their equipment, how about..." The smith and the girls went about, viewing weapons and the armors. Naofumi took the time to go pet Dera, the four-headed snake melting into a scaly puddle by his feet. This is nice, the hero pondered. One hour later, both girls were fully equipped with brand new armor and weapons, their looks matching those of experienced adventurers. Naofumi let a satisfied expression paint his face.

"Come on, we still need to get holy water for both of you. Let's get going!" The girls nodded at his request, waving their farewells to the smith.

The walk through town was calm, seemingly no one recognizing him as the Shield Hero. Having the **[Magic Tome Shield] **sure was a blessing, the book being a ticket for a non-stressful shopping trip. He quickly approached the church, the building still as elegant as ever. If only the people inside weren't so bothersome. Shadow quickly vanished from sight, working on collecting information as per his command, while he and Raphtalia made their way inside the white building.

Nuns quickly began whispering and muttering, making the hero scowl and harden his gaze. He approached the altar where the symbol of the church was at, the rosary of the three holy weapons being a somewhat obnoxious sight for him. As he walked up to the altar, a figure showed itself.

Pristly garbs in white color, with a long and decorated hat and glasses, the man seemed to be someone important here. He heard one of the nuns gasp and say something along the lines of "The Holy Papal Excelency!". He sighed in his mind, picturing a bothersome talk if the man's holier-than-thou atitude was anything to go by. _Head priest of a religion, huh? I remember seeing him on the palace when Motoyasu challenged me to a duel. Still the same face from them. Do you also follow Earth's style of religion and touch little boys?_

"What might be thy business, Hero of the Shield, with our holy temple?" Naofumi held in a snort, Raphtalia holding his head as she had already pictured what his atitude would be.

"I want three vials of your best holy water. The strongest for curses." The pope did a praticed smile to the hero, eyes hidden under the flare of his glasses.

"I see. Well then, please make a donation for the church." Even the voice of the old man was full with a sense of superiority.

Naofumi once again held in a snark. "How much?"

"'Three gold coins will be sufficient." The small hand gestures of the pope made Naofumi realize that this guy must have a ton of practice with dealing with crowds. Those hand movements were to draw attention away from the eyes, distracting the audience and reinforcing whatever message or motive he wanted to preach to whoever would listen to him. Considering the power the church had, many were willing to listen. It was a scam that politicians and con-man were used to do. It was one of the first lessons that he learned back in his university, how to identify these types that would such you dry of your money.

Naofumi nodded to the "donation" price, the pope asking one of the nuns to bring the requested items. A few moments later, a nun brought the vials in a platter and presented them to Naofumi. The hero rose his brows as his eyes glanced at the vials. Even without his **[Appraisal]** Skill, a bonus skill from one of the first shield he unlocked, he could recognize a poor-quality item when it was presented to him. He was a economics student, and a merchant, after all!

** Poor Quality Holy Water 3x**

"Excuse me if I'm being blunt, but if that's what the church calls High-grade Holy Water, I think I'm going to try to make my own with piss and spit. Seems to be what these are made of. No way they are worth three gold coins." Naofumi laid in thick with sarcasm, many nuns gasping at his rude remark. The pope eyed the vial, his glasses lighting and hiding his glaring gaze over the nun who brought the items.

"My child, why have you brought these inferior items?" Even when the pope said this with a soft tone and an easy face, the temperature in the room decreased several degrees. "Our Holy God is generous. Why must you blemish God's name with your selfish actions in search of your depraved sense of justice?" The nun resembled a twig, shaking like crazy in front of the old man. She yelped a apology as she ran off hurriedly. "Forgive us for her transgressions." It was creepy how the man could maintain such a calm façade, the fixed smile in his face never dissapearing.

"Not a problem. I just want what I paid for." Naofumi could start an argument, but that would not be beneficial. Trying to start fights with religious powers was for those fearless and/or dumb enough. He wanted to book it as soon as possible, fighting here would not be the way to go.

A little while, a different nun approached them, this time carrying three vials of potent holy water. Naofumi nodded in thanks as he took the vials and pocketed them in his hip pouch. The hero once more nodded to the pope and made his exit, raccoon companion following right behind him.

"Give thanks to God, all that is, is due to Him..." The pope said, eyes fixed on Naofumi's back as the hero exited the temple.

* * *

"Fucking wanker, talking as if he did some miraculous blessing for us." Naofumi said after he and Raphtalia were a little away from the church. The raccoon girl was eyeing the streets, when she noticed a knight approaching them. It was a young man, running as calling them.

"H-hello there, Shield Hero!" The young knight shouted at them, making Naofumi loudly click his tongue.

"Raphtalia!" He grabbed her hand and began running the opposite way from the approaching knnight. "Find Firo and get go to the old man's shop." Naofumi ran ahead and did a few signs up in the air. Raphtalia followed the command and rushed away from the hero. The knight tried to follow Naofumi, but ended up falling face-first onto the ground.

He checked to see if anything had got his leg, but there was nothing stuck to him. The knight eyed some loose stones, but dismissed the thought that they could cause his fall. He rose and continued running, hopping to catch the hero.

High on the ceilings of the closeby buildings, Shadow dropped the other stones she had in hand and ran away stealthly, avoiding the other individuals that were hidden in the rooftops. _Master is going to be angry when he finds out that the Queen's Shadows are snopping around. I hope my new weapon gets ready soon, I need to test it._

Naofumi managed to run and slip away from the pursuing knight. He ended up on the busy streets of the market, many people going about their business. He sighed and almost made to a street stall selling fruits.

_Almost_

"YOU SHIELD-BASTARD!" Naofumi recognized the bothersome voice and whom it belonged to. What the hero wasn't expecting was for Motoyasu to come flying out of the crowd, his spear ready to attack. He jumped back just in time for the spear to strike his previous position, causing debree to fly all over the place. "How low can you be, NAOFUMI!" The blonde swiped his spear once more, this time in a circular motion. Naofumi dodged it just in time by ducking under the swipe, the attack raising a cloud of dust as it struck the nearby stalls.

"What the fuck is your problem, you god damn lunatic!?" Naofumi shouted at Motoyasu. "I know you are fucking blind, but I never knew your fucking eyes were that bad! Look around you, this is the middle of the street, you wanker!"

"That's my line, you fucking slave-owner-fucker!" Motoyasu did a smal twirl with his spear and pointed his finger at the Shield Hero.

Naofumi stared at the blonde in front of him almost as if to ask _Are you serious?_. "Really? This bullshit again? Raphtalia is with me because she wants to!"

"Not that!" Motoyasu continued his antics, akin to a child who had been refused candy. "You enslaved a girl who looks just like Freon-chan!"

You could hear a pin drop in the background, the silence on the street only broken by Naofumi's question, which embodied all the people around.

...

...

...

"...What?"

Motoyasu's face shone with a bright smile as he put on a _"suave"_ smile. "I have a thing for angel, moe type girls!"

Naofumi face-palmed hard.

"As long as there is a hole, you'll try to stick it in? Naofumi asked in obvious disgust. Motoyasu angrily shook his fist at Naofumi, charging once more to try and pierce the hero.

Naofumi dodged once more, changing his shields to **[Chimeric Viper Shield].** Another swipe dodged, another street stall destroyed by the Spear Hero.

The Shield hero eyed the crowd around them, trying to find someone that would help him. As he searched, his eyes found the rest of Motoyasu's party, the various girls, Malty included, smiled at his distress. _You know what, fuck it!_ He raised his right hand in the air, quick signals pointed at the Spear hero charging him once more.

Suddenly, a knight placed himself in between the two heroes. Motoyasu was about to stop his charge, but something hit his cloak and pinned it to the ground, the blonde falling with his back to the ground. Motoyasu turned and looked at his cloak, finding three throwing knives pinning the cloth on the ground. He turned his head to look at Naofumi, eyes wide as a cloaked individual appeared beside the hero.

"Master." Shadow called Naofumi, the hero nodding to her presence.

"Spear Hero, please, stop!" The knight took the chance, seeing Motoyasu busy pulling the knives from his cloak and dropping them on the ground. "Where do you think you are, sir?"

Naofumi rose one brow at the knight protecting him. _Isn't he the kid from earlier? Why is he..._

Motoyasu assumed his charging position once more. "Who the hell are you?"

The young knight pleaded. "This is a residential area, Sir hero! Stop this nonsense at once!"

"No! This is a legal duel, pronounced on the authority of the kingdom. Get out of the way, knight!" Malty loudly declared. Her voice pissed off Naofumi, the hero weighting the risks of using his **[Shield of Anger(Wrath Shield I)] **and **[Self-Immolation Curse]**. The redhead showed a scroll with the royal signature, her smirk and smug expressiong a clear sign that she planned to keep this farce up.

The young knight trembled, but he still didn't move away.

"Insolent! Do you plan to ignore a royal decree?" Malty shouted at he knigth, making the man flinch and tremble even more. Naofumi was about to order Shadow to attack and rip the damn scroll to shreds, but someone else entered the circle.

"Personal duels between the heroes are prohibited. Sir Spear Hero, please, back off!" Blue, frilly dress and regal aura, Melty approached the heroes in their stand-off, the girl also carrying a royal scroll with her. "Elder sister, What nonsense are you playing about here?!"

"Little sister, what might you be refering to? I'm merely doing my duty and supporting the Spear Hero!" Malty's voice faltered for a short while, making Naofumi raise one brow. _So Melty really is the next in line for the throne. No kid could play authority like this. _

"Calling for a deadly duel in a civilian district full of people. It this your idea of supporting the heroes, elder sister?" Melty's voice tone made the redhead's face sour.

Naofumi took the chance and grabbed Shadow's hand, lightly squeezing it in a silent question. The girl squeezed it back, making the hero nod slightly. They slowly stepped back and away from the confusion, but before they could get away, Raphtalia and Firo ran in the circle, making the hero groan at their bad timing. Considering that Firo was in human form, all the more trouble for him.

"Naofumi-sama!" Raphtalia called out, the hero turning his head to face her. His girls closed in, but Motoyasu was faster than what the girls expected, since in an instant the hero knelt in front of Firo, grabbing her hand in a "_gentleman-like_" manner.

"Oh, lovely angel, may I ask for your lovely name?" The cheap act almost made Naofumi puke out. He whispered to Shadow.

"_Where is Dera?_" The rogue/assassin pointed to the roof of a nearby building. Naofumi's eyes followed her gesture, finding the four-headed Hydra with all her heads focused on the Spear hero, just waiting for a chance to strike. _"Go get her and don't let her attack. Motoyasu has not seen her, let's save one trump card against him and this fucking bitch."_

Shadow nodded and vanished from sight once more. She did that just in time, seeing as Motoyasu was once more twirling his spear in the air and trying to hit Naofumi. The shield hero parried the blow towards the ground, and once the spear dug into stone, he stepped on the shaft, keeping the weapon burried. Swapping his shield to **[Iron Stake Shield]**, Naofumi bashed his weapon against Motoyasu, pushing the hero away as **counterattack** activated and stabbed into him.

The blonde was pushed away a few steps, but quickly struck a pose, pointing his spear at Naofumi. "Don't get cocky, you scumbag!"

Melty shouted at Motoyasu. "Spear hero, I said to stop this duel right now!"

He ignored her, but could not ignore Firo, standing right in front of the hero.

"Firo-chan, step aside please, or I won't be able to get rid of this bastard!"

Firo stared at Motoyasu with angry eyes and a pout. "Spear guy is mean! You are mean to master, you were mean to me the first time. I hate Spear guy." A quick puff of smoke and Firo was in her big bird mode. It was a surprise for Motoyasu to find Firo, the moe girl, was _that_ bird. He had no time to try to sweet-talk her as she punted him in the crotch, her kick throwing the hero against the already destroyed stall from earlier.

As panic set over the Spear Hero's party, Naofumi burst out, laughing like a man who heard the most hilarious joke of the century. Before any person in this clusterfuck could stop and analyze the fact that the Shield Hero was laughing at the misfortune of the Spear Hero, Shadow appeared right behind him, Dera in tow. The rogue girl threw something in the ground, smoke bursting out and quickly spreading over the street. It was gone in a few seconds, leaving no trace of Naofumi and his group.

What remained was only Motoyasu, holding his crotch in pain. Malty, desperate to help him. The knight, confused as to how things had become so chaotic, and finally, Melty, sad that she hadn't managed to help and not even talk properly with the Shield hero.

From the crowd, a woman wearing armor entered the area.

"Mister Shield Hero, I have something to talk to yo-" The female knight looked all over, but there were no sign of Naofumi or his group.

* * *

"Kid, you do know I have got work to do, right?" Erhart asked, hammering away at a glowing ingot.

Naofumi waved the smith off. "Don't mind me and continue your work." The smith shook his head and took the advice.

The group had managed to get away from the mess earlier without being followed, so Naofumi counted that as a win. He took one of the holy water vials in his pouch and fed it to his shield, vial and all. **[Holy Shield unlocked]** popped on his notifications, but he ignored it for now. Getting another vial, he opened and poured the liquid into a bowl, soaking some bandages and calling Raphtalia and Shadow. It was time to reapply their bandages after all.

He was about to start the girls' treatment when the door of the store opened, the same young knight from before entering the shop. Naofumi cursed under his breath as the man hugged the door, leaving the group no escape unless they either broke through the windows or door.

"Shield hero, sir!" The young knight placed one fist over his chest and called out Naofumi, whom sighed and leaned against the ccounter.

"You are very persistent, I'll give you that!" Naofumi crossed his arms over his chest and motioned for the young knight to speak. "I'll hear you out, speak already."

"Sir, would it be possible for you to take us knights with you during the waves?" The question surprised Naofumi. _Why would they want to come with me? The other heroes would guarantee them fame, while sticking with me will have the inverse effect. _"Me and my platoon, we're very impressed with how you fought the last wave, and we heard all about how sir Shield Hero can't fight properly if there is no one to help, so we tried to find you to propose our help to you."

"I can't see how fighting by my side would help your career!" Naofumi bluntly stated, making Raphtalia call him out.

The knight lowered his head, his helmet shadowing his face. His voice broke a bit, but he managed to speak out. "I'm from Ryute Village, and my family lives there too. My village was on the brink of being wiped out, and only you, sir, moved to help. I know my duties as a knight, protect the people and the kingdom, but I feel that reducing casualties is also our duty. Being with a hero would speed up the process and help the people much more than simply sitting here and waiting ffor reports..." The young knight finished, his tightly closed fists shaking, no dout in frustration.

Naofumi wondered if he was sighing too much these days as another one left his mouth. The hero searched his hip pouch for a few moments, and held out his hand to the knight.

From the hero's closed hand, a necklace emerged. A well crafted, silver colored chain that had a shield-shaped pendant.

"I don't trust people, but I trust money. 150 silver coins, that's the price of this necklace. Buy it from me and you can earn my trust. It's a steal, to be able to buy a hero's trust for mere 150 silver coins." Naofumi said, eyeing the knight's reaction. The young man pondered something in his mind for a while, before shouting an affirmation.

"I'll arrange for the money right away, sir!" With that said, the young knight rushed out of the building.

Naofumi waited for a few seconds, Erhart's complaining voice already telling him what the smith thought about his mercenary-like behavior.

"Shield-kiddo, that was..."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm a heartless bastard and a penny-pincher, yadda yadda. Girls, let's go. We have to see about that class upgrade." The smith heard Naofumi mention Class upgrade and congratulated the hero.

"Aren't you working hard, already being able to class up! Normally that takes a normal adventurer quite some months, in some cases years." Erhart joked, cracking his fingers and picking his hammer. "Yosh! As a gift for you, I'll work extra hard on your armor!"

Naofumi laughed, hand gesturing for his slaves to follow him. The girls were right on his back, with Dera being the most literal one, coiling around his abdomen and weighting him down. He grumbled under his breath about having spoiled the hydra, Firo already breathing down on his neck about him being clingy with the snake/Hydra.

They exited the shop and walked to the temple where the Hourglass of the Dragon's Era was located, the building also under the Church's jurisdiction. The group entered the buiding, finding many nuns milling about. He approached the golden hourglass, one of the nuns coming closer and questioning why he was here. After he explained that his group needed a class upgrade, the nun in charge smirked at him told him about a price.

"15 gold coins? Are you out of your fucking mind?" He just short of shouted at the nun, the woman flinching away from him.

"Is that expensive?" Firo innocently asked.

Raphtalia immediately answered. "It is crazy expensive Firo!"

The nun recovered from her tiny shock, two more sisters coming to back her up. A small smug smile settled over the nun who was attending him, which made the hero exhale rather strongly. "Raphtalia, Shadow, you go first." Firo started whining about his decision, Dera shifted and tightned herself against him to show her displeasure too. He apologized in his mind and promised that they would be next.

The nuns appeared surprised he was willing (or even could) to pay the amount. One of them rushed away to fetch something, coming back with a scroll with a rather recognizable seal.

The head nun took the scroll and coughed to gather the attention of the group. "The Shield Hero's party is banned from class up! It's a royal decree!" As soon as the words left the nun's mouth, Naofumi clenched his teeth. Raphtalia's surprise was evident, and Shadow was nowhere to be seen.

The hero snarled, his voice just short of a roar. The nuns, who previously were smuggly smilling, flinched in terror

"Firo, Raphtalia, we're going!" A purple-ish black aura surrounded the hero, his very steps seemed full of malice and hatred. The group almost exited the building, but Naofumi stopped by one of the bigger pillars of the place. It was a well crafted piece, carved from white marble. Naofumi extended one hand and grabbed the pillar. The nuns were curious of his reaction, but soon they heard cracking sounds coming from the pillar.

_No way!_

_It's impossible. No human being has that kind of physical strength!_

_What is this devilish strength!?_

It mattered not for the hero. His shield flashed black for a small instant, but it was enough. The supporting pillar cracked and broke, raising dust as Naofumi and his party finally exited the temple.

**[White Marbled Shield unlocked]**

* * *

"So you can't provide me a class up either?!" Naofumi asked the Slave Owner. He opted to visit the tent, remembering that the man had slaves with high levels, but it seems as if the merchant couldn't provide the service either. Shadow finally reappeared, approaching him and whispering on his ear a few details. "Well, I guess it's time for me to pack up."

The Slave Owner looked at Naofumi with curiosity. His eyes then lit up as he managed to spot Shadow. "A mighty fine work with this one too, huh? I guess you really have the spirit to fix and improve broken items, Shield Hero-sama! I have completely fallen for you!" The penguim suited man tried to approach Naofumi, extending his lips in a kissing motion. Raphtalia drew her sword and Shadow her dagger, the duo of girls standing in front of their master to protect him from the creep. "What protective slaves! For them, of their own accord, to protect their master! And for one to be a master at intel gathering, you might not even need my advice about using another country's dragon hourglass.

Naofumi smirked at the Slave Owner. The smirk then became a vicious expression, hatred dripping from the hero. "This shitty country doesn't offer anything useful for me anymore, might as well toss it aside like the garbage it is. Only problem is that the next wave is just around the corner. Fuck, Melromark is such a shitty country!" The hero spit out the country's name, eyeing the shop. His eyes settled over one particular item.

"How much does that cost?"

* * *

The group made their way back into Erhart's weapon shop. Considering there was nothing else they could do here, the best they could do was help the smith progress on his armor and see about extra weapons.

As they entered the shop, the hero found the young knight and his platoon of about fifteen people inside the shop. The group turned and faced him, many of them showing happy expressions at his presence there. The knight approached him with a happy expression and a coin purse. _Well, color me surprised._

"Sir, we all managed to collect the 150 silver coins that you wanted. Everyone helped a bit!" The hopeful expression of the young knight made Naofumi sigh. Instead of accepting the money, the hero pushed the purse back to the young knight together with the necklace.

He messed with his menu for a few moments, leaving everyone in the room confused as to why he hadn't taken the money. Soon, a screen appeared before the young knight.

**The Shield Hero has chosen you as a squad leader under his party. Will you accept it?**

**-[Accept] [Refuse]**

"I don't fully trust you, but I guess this is a good start. Keep the money, buy your group better equipment with it." The young knight's eyes shone as he nodded at the hero's proposition.

"So you were testing them. Should've expected some shenanigan like that from you, kiddo!" Erhart laughed.

"Less laughing, more working on my armor." Naofumi said with a huff. "Girls, get some rest. I'll discuss with the old man here a few plans before I hit the hay. We'll hit the road early to get some use out of the time before the wave." Naofumi handed the girls a handful of silver and turned to face the smith. The girls went their way to the usual inn the group stayed at, while the soldiers went about chosing their new equipment, some soldiers taking the talk to talk with Naofumi.

The hero had no reason to refuse their small talk, so he indulged the soldiers a bit. The fact they were staring star-eyed at him had nothing to do with it, nothing at all.

* * *

Naofumi sat alone on his table, amusing himself with a tankard of mead. It had no effect on him, he was drinking it more to pass time than anything else. The bar had more people drinking in than one was supposed to find. He looked a lot like a regular, since his armor was being upgraded, his casual clothes and **[Magic Tome Shield]** doing an amazing job of taking the usual target off his back.

He sipped from his drink, the alcohol barely tickling his throat, and observed those around him. On one of tables in the far corner, he spotted Itsuki and his group, merrily talking and drinking. The usual bow was missing from his back, and his clothes were a lot less ostentatious than usual, which passed to Naofumi the message that the Bow Hero was going incognito.

The Shield Hero closed his eyes and took another sip from his drink, letting the drinks do the hard work on those around him. He tried to listen to any worthwile conversation, nothing standing out from the crowd except the drunken ramblings and complaints from the townsfolk. His tankard empty, Naofumi ordered another drink and focused his efforts on Itsuki's group, which were not making any effort to be silent in their merry-making.

One of the members of his group, a tall fellow in armor and a ludicrous mustache, spoke to the Bow Hero. "Sir, our investigation concluded that the current lord is overtaxing the population, and has hired some muscle to keep things in check. Such uncouth behavior, from a landlord no less, what has the kingdom become? If you were the lord, sir, I bet the land would be more than prosperous!"

Naofumi couldn't help but sputter his drink. He drew some attention to himself, which he hopped to have warded off by pretending to be drunk and laying on the counter.

"What was that?" Itsuki asked his group, the party waving off his concerns.

"Nothing for you to worry about, Itsuki-sama. Must have been some drunkard." One of the girls said.

_Oi, oi, oi, what the fuck was that, Itsuki? Are you some cult leader?_ Naofumi fixed his stance on the bar stool, telling the bartender to not worry about him and keep the drinks coming. The more he heard Itsuki's party speak, the more he was convinced they saw him as some sort of Messiah, the amazing hero who came to save the world from the Waves. Naofumi was on his tenth drink when the Bow Hero's party finished talking about the details pertaining to this town and the famine going on.

_So even with that seed, things are still tough out here, huh? Well, the situation won't magically solve itself after all. Food prices will likely still be high for a while, considering the situation with the waves and all of that. I guess food carts have not been frequent to this part. The lord is probably tied up with what to do. If he lower the taxes, he most likely won't have funds in case something happens; he raises the taxes, the population starves and the chance of a revolt is high. What a troublesome situation._

"I see! So the Lord here must be corrupt! Let's teach him a lesson!" The Shield Hero almost choked on his drink. Once more, he ended up drawing attention to himself. His salvation came in the shape (_very lovely shape, by the way_) of a girl leaning on the counter by his side, blocking the Bow Hero's party view. She was dressed in a common dress, something a bar attendant would wear. Normally, Naofumi would not believe someone approaching him like that, but one look at the face of this girl and he felt relieve wash over him. Shadow was here to the rescue (_in civilian clothes, without her mask and looking very much like a snack!_).

"Itsuki-sama, let us leave this place. This sort of seedy place does not fit your image." The bulky fellow in armor said rather loudly, making some of the present patrons stare at the group, a rather tense mood forming in the pub.

_Thanks for being a blockhead, Knight-wannabe-kun! Your sacrifice will be forgotten very soon, but thank you anyway. _Naofumi snickered in his head. Shadow approached her face to his, whispering in his ear.

"Naofumi-sama, I have the information you wanted. It might be best we pretend to have hit off and leave before the Bow Hero-dono and his party notice us." Naofumi nodded to her suggestion. To those looking from outside, it seemed to be a common sight, a drunk has striken some bargirl's fancy sights, and they were about to "know each other better". A perfect setup.

The Shield Hero pretended to be drunk, leaning heavily on Shadow, the girl sticking close to him as they left the pub. The other patrons either scowled at the Bow hero and his party, or at the stranger who had scored for the night.

The bartender shook his head lightly, quickly picking the small pile of coins left close to the tankard. The money was a bit over the tab, which meant one thing. A tip. The old bartender smiled to himself.

**Next day**

Naofumi and the girls were bartering and trading goods on the town. That's what Naofumi wanted to say, but the barren land and poor state of the place made it clear that he either was not going to profit here, or would have more trouble than necessary.

Lo and behold.

The townsfolk almost swarmed to his wagon, many outright begging for him to trade with them.

An old fellow presenting some sort of wooden idol.

A thin and bearded middle-aged man offering a big wooden spoon.

A housewife offering a firewood bundle.

It was rather depressing. Outside of the money factor, it was harsh seeing people starve like this. _Fuckin' hell!_

"Raphtalia, bring me a big pot." He asked the raccoon girl, directing his eyes to the mass of starved in front of him. "I can tell you aren't from this country. Not a problem for me, but there is one thing you can pay me with." Naofumi said to them, making some in the crowd stare at him with discomfort. "Information. That's what I want as payment." Many relieved sighs escaped from the crowd, to the hero's confusion.

_Information is the life and soul of a merchant business. Shadow is already out gathering info too, we cross it with what I acquire here and discover why no help has come so far. I don't believe King Trash doesn't know what is happening in the country. _

* * *

Naofumi was definitively sighing too much. There was a saying back in Japan, every time one sighed, they let out a bit of their hapiness escape from their body. Well, he must have let out all his, considering all the bullshit he had gone throught.

"You really want me to look like a bandit, right?" He asked Erhart. The smith merely smiled at the hero.

"Come on, Kiddo! It looks amazing and you can't deny it! It has not changed much in appearance, but those dragon materials you brought were a real boon! That dragon core rose the magical defense throught the roof! I had to polish off some bits, but I managed to insert them into other parts to enhance their defense too. You will be a real wall out there, hero!" Erhart joked.

The armor had really not changed much. Some extra metal reinforcements were added, nothing that would restrict movement, but enough to cover up some more. On the chest piece, the purple dragon core was embedded in the middle, two smaller pieces also adorned the corners of the metal. The hero checked his stats, and fair enough, his defenses had increased even more. Calling Naofumi a living tank was not far from the truth, if he kept this pace.

Shadow was checking out her new weapon. Different from before, when all she had was a simple spool bundle, now the rogue/assassin had a proper spinning apparatus from which her reforged Metal Thread Wire was dispersed from. The smith managed, with a little help from Naofumi, managed to fuse the metal wire and the magic thread, making a grey thread that responded to Shadow's every move. All she needed to do was pump some magic throught the thread and it would move as if alive. New, reinforced leather gloves, with little metal tips on the fingers for extra grip and care when handling the sharp thread, and now Shadow could cosplay a puppeter, although a deadly one.

Raphtalia already had her new equipment, so the girl was satisfied with watching her master in his dashing, rogue looking armor.

Firo was bouncing in her place, also admiring the **[Barbarian Lord Armor].** She had also gained a new weapon Naofumi had bought her on the Slave Owner's tent, metal claws that would fit her bird form and add to her already absurd kicking power.

Dera couldn't really equip anything, her reptilian shape didn't allow for anything like that. Instead, she had been developing her poison breath, speed and her physical strenght. It was a rather easy task, that with Naofumi being the most durable stress ball/ training partner one could have. Ambush tactics also were right up her alley, considering the Hydra had been following in Shadow's steps, althought not to ambush prey, but to ambush Naofumi for belly-rubs and headpats.

The Shield Hero was confident in his and his party's potential. They exited the weapon shop, hoping to find the young knight and his platoon, but just a few streets after exiting Erhart's shop, Naofumi found two "fellow" heroes. Ren and Itsuki, Sword and Bow heroes.

The duo quickly spotted him and made their way towards him.

"Mind telling me why you have stolen our rewards, Naofumi?" Itsuki less asked and more accused Naofumi. Once more, do add to the list, another sigh left his mouth.

"Could you take that stick out off your ass first? What in bloody hell makes you think I would steal your reward? I mean, what even was your quest in first place?" Naofumi rebuked the Bow.

"Don't play dumb! You are the only hero who would do this type of thing! My quest was to take down a tyrant lord who was abusing his ruling power, but when I went to take my reward, the guild told me someone had already taken it." Naofumi scratched his hair, frustrated with the idiocy of the teen in front of him.

"First things first, I'm not even registered within any guild, so there goes your little theory. Second, did you give proof that you were a hero?" That made Itsuki back off, the teen becoming pale when he noticed that what Naofumi said made sense. "Hiding your identity like some sort of comic-book anti-hero, you do realize that you are a hero backed up by the kingdom, right?"

"W-what is your point?" Itsuki tried to bounce back, but Naofumi cut him short.

"Look, pretending to be an ally of justice may help you to get your jollies, but it sure won't bring money into your wallet, so I suggest you announce loud and clear which quest you're taking next time, and don't hide who you are. Did you expect people to magically know it was you who brought about _justice_?" Naofumi laid it thick to the Bow Hero, making Itsuki flinch and back off more and more.

"B-Bragging is not what a true hero of justice is about!" Itsuki shouted at Naofumi

"Hero of justice? Do you know what happened to the people of the land you supposedly helped?" The Shield Hero asked the Bow.

"Of course! They are prosperous, since the bad lord was imprisoned!"

Naofumi released another sigh, this time a frustrated one. "As if! The people are so desperate they are sneaking into the neighboring lands to try to get some food."

Surprise painted the Bow Hero's face. "T-there is no way! I helped them!"

Iwatani scoffed and crossed his arms. "If you had properly gathered information, you would have known that the place was already going through a famine. It takes years of experience to have the administration skills necessary to go through something like that. When you took off the _tyrant, _there was no one skilled enough to administer the place. Those who assumed increased the tax rates even more and almost bled the people dry, hoping to get the money to fix the place. You merely swapped the head, you never fixed the problem."

Ren shook his head, observing the pathetic attempts of the Bow hero to try to pin down the problem on Naofumi. His bad luck was that the Shield noticed.

"Don't think you are free to judge either, Ren!" Naofumi's harsh tone made the other teen stare at him as if doubting he could ever be wrong. "That dragon you killed close to Yama Village; the corpse that you failed to dispose of, that thing brought a fucking plague to the village, almost wiped everyone there. It was coincidence that I was closeby, so I got rid of it. Maybe that's why your quest got cancelled. Don't piss your pants, I don't expect a thanks from you." Naofumi finished.

Ren tried to rebuke with something, but his eyes caught the various curse spots marring both Raphtalia and Shadow. The hero lowered his head in shame, a broken "I'm sorry" leaving his mouth.

Itsuki refused to believe Naofumi, shaking the Sword Hero by the shoulder. "C-Come on, there is no way you believe him!

Ren looked aside with shame. "N-No reason for him to lie."

Naofumi let the two babies to reflect on the consequences of their actions. Itsuki still tried to say something, but at this point the Shield Hero couldn't care less.

He finally managed to meet the soldiers, and planned about their plans for the wave, which It was going to hit tomorrow. He had done his ultmost, it was time to see if his efforts would be worth something.

* * *

**AUTHOR NOTES.**

**Next chapter will be fully focused on the fight against the wave and our favorite Glass-chan and her war fans. Who can't wait for Season 2 of the anime? I liked their take on it, and the action scenes were really good. [Iron Maiden] and [Blood Sacrifice] then? Urhgh, I almost nutted when Naofumi chanted for [Blood Sacrifice]!**

**You know the drill, review and let me know your opinions, Ryujin Maou (Draconic Demon Lord) out!**


	10. Row, row, fight with power!

**00:01**

**00:00**

The timer for the waves counted down the last second, after which blinding light covered Naofumi and his group. A few more seconds later, he sucked in a breath of air, eyes opening to find the mountainous landscape around him. The sky darkened and the signature signs of the Wave appeared for all to see.

The hero looked backwards, checking on the group that had arrived with him.

His slaves were there, safe and ready for the fight; His wagon was also there, topped off with medicine, potions, bandages and all items he had managed to craft before the wave. The young knight and his platoon of 15 were also there, men and women with worried faces, this being the first time they had been so close to the wave.

Naofumi gave them a reasuring look, approaching the group.

"Good, you all are here. Just as we discussed, maintain formation and don't spread your group too thin." Naofumi said to the young knight.

The boy nodded to the hero, raising his fist to encourage his troops. The knight then pointed to the rising cloud of dust rushing their way, managing to spot the three heroes and their parties.

"Shield Hero, sir, the other heroes are here!" The young knight had a hopeful expression. Naofumi was about to say something, but the three dunces beat him to the punch.

"Out of the way, Naofumi! Let the pros handle the job!" Motoyasu was leading the charge, Ren and Itsuki following right behind him as the group rushed to meet the monsters pouring in from the sky.

"Where the hell is the army you were supposed to bring? The last Wave was bothersome enought, you know!" Naofumi shouted at the group, but they didn't stop their charge. The Shield Hero huffed in annoyance, eyes focusing on the troops close to him, many of them young knights and mages. The teens looked bitter.

"We can't wait for reinforcements, it will take them at least one day to come from the capital!" Raphtalia said outloud, Shadow nodding to her statement.

"Master, the difficulty of this battle has increased many-fold." Shadow stated, already pulling on her Metal Thread Wire, a whirling sound being emitted from the spinning apparatus.

"Tell me something I don't know!" The hero grumbled, annoyance displayed on his face as a scowl. "ASSUME FORMATION!" The hero shouted to the troops, hoping to stop their morale from dropping further. It seemed to work as the knights snapped into attention, their eyes focusing on him.

"As you can see, the heroes have rushed ahead to meet the Wave head on; our job will the different! Evacuate all the towns and villages on the surrounding area. Don't worry too much about the monsters, my group will take care of them. That said, pay attention and keep your guards up; can't have any of you dying on me yet!" Naofumi commanded. The knights nodded and shouted their agreement to him.

The hero looked over his party, the girls also nodding to him and getting ready for the incoming monsters. Naofumi looked over the sky, seeing the enourmous ship floating on the sky, all manner of creatures leaping from it and rushing to the closeby town. The ship was broken on various places, had a look as if it was supposed to be at the bottom of the ocean, and to make matters worse, it had many tentacles sprouting from the hull.

**[Ghost Ship Lv. 46]**

**[Kraken Lv. 46]**

**[****Skeleton ****Captain Lv. 46]**

**? Lv.?**

The names of the supposed bosses apperad on Naofumi's HUD. The hero equipped his **[Chimeric Viper Shield]** and spread his feet, a stance to better take incoming attacks. _I hope you three idiots know what you are doing. Hurry up and take care of the wave, fucking pricks!_

"Alright! Hurry up and get into formation already!" Naofumi shouted once more at the knights, the group taking the formation he had explained to them before. The knights in armor stood at ready, ten of them divided equally to protect both front and rear, while the mages stayed right in the middle of them. Naofumi himself lead the group into the close town, parking his wagon close to a stable.

"If you get injuried, search either for me or her," Naofumi pointed to both himself and Shadow, both carrying hip pouches. "We'll provide you with necessary help. Try and avoid as much injuries as possible, and hopefully only the civilians will need the medicine in the wagon!" Naofumi's plan for this fight was simple.

Hold back the monsters here and minimize the damage to only this town, all the while the knight squad would evacuate the civilians and take care of any monster that managed to pass Naofumi and his group. The wagon would serve as a emergency medical bay, which Naofumi hoped wouldn't be necessary.

THe groups separated, Naofumi and his party going to intercept the monster incoming while the knights evacuated the civilians.

Naofumi rushed ahead and met the incoming monsters with a vicious charge. Considering his physical strength and defensive capabilities, he became a literal stone wall, making the rushing dark wolves, kobolts and cockatrices crash-stop against him. The monsters had no time to react as Raphtalia and Shadow jumped in the fray, sword and sharp wires cutting throught their numbers with precision and grace.

Firo and Dera went to meet another mob group, the philorial kicking and the hydra spitting poison or bashing anything with her tail. Considering Firo as a mobile unit and Dera as a watchtower, no monster could get the drop on them. Soon, the ground was littered with corpses, monsters either possessing caved in parts or covered in a thick, purple gunk.

The Shield Hero wasted no time. He moved from place to place with tactical focus and setting priorities. Defend the knights rescuing a family from under the rubble of a house, protect Raphtalia from a flanking attack, parrying blows from the enemies; he even helped a granny defend her home.

The old lady was killing monster, and believe it or not, with a hoe, swinging the farming equipment with smooth moves. She thanked him for something he couldn't remember, something about helping her son deliver medicine to her or the like, he had forgotten.

All that mattered was that Naofumi rose his shield and blocked the enemies.

_Protect, protect, protect! _He chanted in his mind, pushing a group of mobs against a wall, quickly retreating just in time for Dera, who had left Firo for the rooftops, to spit another stream of poisonous gunk at the enemies he had stunned.

* * *

...

...

...

**Three hours later.**

"ARRHHHHHH!" Naofumi shouted, stepping on the skull of a dark wolf. The head of the creature exploded under the hero's boot, blood and grey matter splatting about. After killing the monster, the hero exhaled a tired sigh, looking at the damage the town had suffered. He wiped the sweat on his forehead, stains of blood and soot mixing with monster blood.

_It's been THREE FUCKING HOURS! What the fuck happened, you fucking imbeciles!_

The fighting had not slowed down from the beginning, and in fact had only become harder and harder the more time passed. Naofumi wiped his hand on his cape, searching for more enemies. On his immediate area there were none, the abundance of corpses a proof of the long and drawn battle. He could still hear the sound of clashing metal, meaning there was still work to be done.

He kicked the corpse of the beast away, walking in the direction he had heard combat still happening. The hero turned one on one corner, findind Shadow strangling a monster with her thread. Close to her, panting and recovering, was the young knight. Naofumi added asking his name to the bottom of the current priority list and moved closer to the teen.

Shadow motioned for the knight to finish the kill, considering she was level capped and wouldn't accumulate anymore experience until she leveled up. The young knight thanked her and rose his dull blade, managing to dig it into the monster and kill it. The knight panted harder in exhaustion, not even drawing the blade from the monster as its corpse dropped on the ground.

"Shield Hero, sir!" The teen exclaimed, taking a few seconds to gasp and take in air. "Please, sir, go and assist the other heroes. My platoon has managed to evacuate the surrounding towns, but if the Wave continues like this, the sacrifices will be..." The teen was both tired and scared to finish his sentence, opting to grasp the hilt of his blade and pull it away from his killed monster.

Naofumi clicked his tongue, but nodded to the teen's request. "Don't fucking die out here! I'll be back in a cinch!" The hero shouted, throwing a potion to the knight. "Firo, Raphtalia, Shadow, Dera, on me! We'll fucking finish this!" The girls shouted an affirmatory answer.

Firo quickly arrived by the hero's side, letting the group mount her. As Dera coiled around Naofumi, the philorial took off with speed, cracking the ground under her as she rushed to the still floating ship.

A few monster tried to get in their way, but were made short work due to Shadow's thread. Dera had stopped her poisonous attacks, considering she had spent a great deal of fluid to produce her killer gunk. A few more minutes running, time which the hero took to give the girls recovery and mana potions, they approached a sort of plateau, where the group spotted Itsuki and his party. The Bow hero was shooting arrows at the ship, seemingly trying to bring it down. He seemed to try a few times, magic coating his arrows as they impacted the ship. It looked little more than a show.

Naofumi almost shouted in ravenous rage from the place he was at.

_It's a fucking Ghost Ship, not a Hot-air balloon, you prick!_

"Itsuki! What the fuck is going on?" Naofumi asked as soon as he entered the other teen's hearing range. The bow hero and his party turned to look at the incoming hero, many turned their eyes and sneered.

"We have to bring the ship down, or it won't end! I've been trying to do so, but Motoyasu-san and Ren-san boarded the ship to attack it, insisting it would bring results." The Bow hero explained to Naofumi with a sour face

"It doesn't seem to be working out so far! Why haven't _YOU_ boarded the ship?" Naofumi asked.

"It doesn't make sense to do so, besides, there was no strategy like that on the game I played, Dimension Wave!" Itsuki shouted at Naofumi, but the words of the teenager only pissed Naofumi further. The Shield Hero dropped from his mount on Firo and walked to Itsuki, grabbing the hero and hoisted him up, too the surprise of both parties.

"This is not a fucking game, Itsuki! Lives are at stake here!" Naofumi seethed in rage. The hero was about to go on a rant, but left it aside, merely dropping the Bow hero from his new height. As the teenager fell on his ass, his party became livid at Naofumi.

"How dare you disrespect Itsuki-sama like that!" The mustache-knight shouted, drawing his blade. Before the man could finish drawing his weapon to attack Naofumi, he found that his sword wouldn't exit the scabbard. He looked at the sheath, findind it to be tied down by metal strings. Next thing he knew, a dagger was pointed to his throat as a robbed figure appeared in front of him.

"Attack master, I dare you!" Contrary to her normally soft spoken nature, Shadow shouted at the man.

The two parties were now at a stand-off, Itsuki's group baffled that someone dared to attack them, while Naofumi's party seemed ready to attack. The stalemate continued for a few seconds.

Naofumi merely clicked his fingers, drawing attention to himself. He was already atop Firo, hand extended to Shadow.

"We don't have time to waste here, Shadow. Let Itsuki play in the kiddie pool taking pot-shots at it, we have a Ghost Ship to destroy!" At his command, Shadow quickly retreated from her attacking stance and returned to her master. As Itsuki stared at Naofumi and his party, his party rushed to his aid. "Firo!"

"Aye aye!" The philorial exclaimed, rushing her feet once more to find a cliff to climb. She rose in speed and as per Naofumi's command, jumped off in full speed.

"**Air Strike Shield! Second Shield!**" His shouts gave way to two magic shields, which served as impromptu platforms for Firo to use and reach the deck of the ship.

The sounds of battle coming from the ship gave away to a loud crash as Firo cracked the wooded deck under her, surprising the people already present there. All fighting stopped as both enemy and ally took their time to acknowledge the sudden arrival.

Naofumi did the same, taking in the enemies and observing the enviroment.

Ren and his group were fighting the Skeleton Captain and its underlings.

Motoyasu and his harem were facing the Kraken. (_Bold move from people in tentacle range._)

The monsters quickly got their bearings, resuming their attacks on the groups. Or so it would happen, were it not for Naofumi suddenly shouting. No, shouting was underplaying it. He roared.

"**AAAAARRRRRHHHHHHHHH!**" **[Dragon Roar]** did the intended effect and intimidaded the enemies, giving the heroes a wider berth to talk. "Motoyasu! Ren! Explain why haven't you defeated these things yet!" He shouted at his fellow heroes, hoping for answers.

Someone else decided to respond for Motoyasu, the whipped spear. "Get lost, useless shielder!" Malty exclaimed at him. Naofumi's anger only increased further.

"Shut the fuck up, you dumb bitch!" The Shield Hero's harsh tone made the redhead flinch. "Do you fucking idiots know what's going on down there?! While you are here, wasting time, the monsters keep on spawning!" Naofumi was cut by Ren, who slashed at the Skeleton Captain and stunned it.

"Naofumi! It's this guy here! If we kill the Skeleton Captain, the true boss, the Soul Eater, will spawn!" Ren explained, keeping his eyes on the enemy.

Motoyasu, on his part, shouted as he swung his lightining spear in wide arcs. "There is no way that is so! We have to kill the Kraken first! It's basic knowledge!"

"It's the _ship!_ We have to down it first!" A third party revelead itself, Itsuki climbing the edge of the ship with his group in tow. "Have you all been wasting time because you had different ideas?!" The Bow hero asked, but Naofumi scoffed at him.

_Who are you to be saying anything, Itsuki?_

"Help me kill it, and we'll be done already!" Motoyasu shouted.

"Don't waste time and focus on this one already!" Ren exclaimed.

Naofumi and his group stared at the mess that became the deck once more. The Shield Hero parried a blow from a dark assassin, a goblin-like monster, and threw the mob towards Shadow, who made short work of it.

_Ok, let's think about this. The common theme here is "We kill x, then the boss appears". So far, I have already seen Ren kill the Skeleton captain once, so that one is out. What to do? Motoyasu has probably killed the Kraken once or twice too, and I can't see how bringing the ship down will call the Soul Eater out. Maybe we could try some magic, but what kind? Should we..._

Naofumi squashed another monster under his boot and parried the blow from another, leaving Raphtalia to rush in and kill the kobold with a well practiced trust. _Ghost ship, undead themed monsters. Maybe light magic will taunt it? _He changed shields, **[Lantern Shield] **already gathering light.

"Raphtalia! Try flushing out the fucker with light magic! Yours is stronger than mine, so I'll match your tempo!" Naofumi said to the raccoon girl. She nodded to him, and focused on chanting, being protected by Shadow, Firo and Dera.

"I'll try, Naofumi-sama!_ I, the source of thy power, have discovered the simple laws of nature. Become truth in my hands and shine a bright light over my enemies! **Fast Light!**_" Raphtalia rose the ball of light that appeared on her hands. Naofumi, taking her cue, also rose his shield and matched her light magic with his skill, **[Focus Light]**. His screen pinged with something and he felt some mana being drained as a menu popped up with **[Combo-chain attack]**. Then, words left Naofumi's mouth as if he knew then forever, even if this was the first time he ever said them.

**[Light Mirror Flash!]**

Raphtalia's magic was encased by green shields, akin to **Shield Prison**, but instead of being blocked, the shields amplified the effect two-fold, effectively becoming a magical flashbang. The sudden light was blinding, but it revealed something much more important. Among the monsters' shadows, it was possible to notice the presence of something else. Naofumi wasted no time.

"Fucker is in the shadows!" His call made his fellow heroes jump into action, each one attacking a different shadow. One under the Skeleton Captain, another under the Kraken's tentacles and the last hidden inside the ship's mast shadow.

Their attacks hit true, the monsters stopping for a moment. From their shadows, energy began pouring out and form right above the ship, surprising the group as the Soul Eater made its appearence.

**True Wave Boss**

**Soul Eater Lv.50**

The boss growled at them. It had a fish-like appearence, its color totally white with a purple gem on its forehead and a maw filled with fangs ready to tear into the groups present here.

"There, did your job for you! Hope you can take it from here!" Naofumi shouted towards the three heroes.

The trio seemed annoyed, synchronizing their speech with scary accuracy.

"""_DON'T UNDERESTIMATE US!_""" The three heroes shouted, each doing a elemental attack against the boss.

"**Wind Arrow!**"

"**Lightining Spear!**"

"**Crimson Burning Sword!**"

It was a rather good combination, the attacks pushing the Soul Eater away from the parties. It would have been better if it had actually done some worthwile damage. The three blows barely managed to take some health away from the monster, who lunged at the groups with ferocity. Naofumi kept his defenses up, watching the show play about, holding the girls back too.

He looked over to see Raphtalia. The raccoon girl had a mix of disappointment and worry painting her face, no doubt wondering if these were truly the heroes of legend. He scoffed, watching Motoyasu try to pierce the Soul Eater, only for the monster to slap him away. The Shield Hero looked over his other companion, Shadow.

The rogue/assassin had her mask up, hiding her expressions, and she was usually the one with the best control over her emotions. If someone else looked at her, they would only find a perfect stance, no emotion portrayed by her. Naofumi knew better. Each tiny shake of her head, her fists tightned up and trembling as she watched the incompetence of the heroes and their parties.

Naofumi took the chance to peek at the heroes' and their parties' statuses, and that made the hero ever so angry. The majority had levels varying between 55-67. They were over-leveled, yet couldn't pull their weight in battle. It was a different kind of impressive for sure. Naofumi would berate the idiots some more, but the Soul Eater stopped the lunging attacks and opted for a breath attack.

Raising his **[Chimeric Viper Shield]**, Naofumi watched as the blow struck the wooden deck of the ship and blew away everyone close to it. He waited for the dust to settle, eyes scanning the field as the heroes and their groups tried to stand up and fight. Naofumi widened his eyes, seeing the Soul Eater charge another breath attack. _As if I would allow it!_

**"Blunt Spike!"** At Naofumi's command, a nostalgic, magical green stake emerged right above the boss monster. His hand lowered and the magical construct followed, slamming into the Soul Eater's back and bringing the boss down on the deck. He rushed the beast, quickly summoning another stake for another attack. "**Blunt Spike!** Come on, attack it already you idiots!" He shouted, hands grasping at the right fin of the white beast, his physical strength allowing the hero to tustle with the much bigger monster, his group already rushing to attack.

Raphtalia's sword flashed rapidly as she hacked away at the monster.

Shadow made use of all her techniques, dagger and Metal Thread Wire quickly pilling up damage over Soul Eater.

Firo straight-up just kicked the boss really hard.

Dera mustered her strength and started lashing out her tail against the boss, since her poison would be useless on an undead like Soul Eater. She would have to evolve her poison further.

Soul Eater, seeing damage quickly accumulating, did a risky maneuver and simply let his breath attack blow up. Naofumi, who was closest to the monster's mouth was the first to act. "SCATTER! **Shield Prison**!" The cage of shields circled Soul Eater's head just in time for Naofumi's party to get away, including himself. The following explosion was rather powerful, but his skill held the boss and its attack in.

Once more letting the dust settle down, it was possible to see the last of his skill disperse, showing Soul Eater. The boss monster had finally received some decent damage, about a quarter of its health gone. _Tough bastard, aren't you?. _The boss got its bearings and floated away from the range of the group, dodging a few spells launched by the others parties, who finally managed to stand up.

Soul Eater went around the ship and emerged on the other side of it, another breath attack being charged up. Naofumi cursed inside his mind, seeing Motoyasu, Ren and Itsuki try to stand their ground against the blow that had put them out of comission in the first place. _I don't have the firepower to kill that thing, and these idiots are nothing, but deadweight! _The hero prepared his shield, eyeing the girls try to think of a plan to attack the boss. _I guess the answer has been staring me in the face all this time_, Naofumi sarcastically joked within himself, the skill tree of the **[Curse Series]** staring him in the face.

_In the end, I guess you really are the best partner, aren't you?_ The hero glanced at his weapon.

Soul Eater shot another attack, but this time The Shield Hero rushed in there to intercept it. The sphere blew up, but no damage reached neither the heroes, nor their parties.

Ren was the first to peer into the dust cloud, his eyes spotting what had endured the terrible blow from before.

Motoyasu and his group also saw Naofumi standing there, protecting them. The Spear Hero was about to call out the Shield, but he noted something was different from before.

* * *

**(suggestion of music for this segment: BFG Division, Doom 2016 OST. Enjoy the carnage!)**

**[Curse Series, Wrath Shield status up!]**

**-Due to influence of Dragon Emp# *$ Core, [Curse Series, Sin of Wrath] has been upgraded.**

**[Shield of Wrath II unlocked]**

**[Shield of Wrath II]**

**-Increase in Attack +75; Increase in Defense +250**

**+Passive skill: [Self-Immolation Curse] [Physical Strenght up (Medium)] [Berserker's Armor(Small)(New!)]**

**+Bonus skill: [Iron Maiden] [Raging Dragon's Roar (evolved!)] [Hate Reaction(New!)]**

Something shifted inside Naofumi as soon as he changed shields. Much like the night of his first duel against Motoyasu, Naofumi could feel his rage burn up, but this time it was a higher flame. The disgusting feeling of weakness on the bottom of his stomach was erased by dark, cursed flames. Rage filled the Hero's mind as glimpses of the death of a dragon played on his mind.

_A hateful Sword. _

_**You shall pay!**_

A deep, raspy voice emitted inside his head. The dragon's dying will was echoing inside his mind, begging for a release. It would not rest until it consumed the target of its hatred, Ren. Naofumi could understand why the dragon wanted the Sword Hero dead. He took everything from him.

_**Humiliated by humans! I need to destroy it! Everything deserves to burn! Become my rage! Destroy all with your cursed flame!**_

"GGGRRRRRR!" Growling sounds left the Shield Hero's throat as he stared at nothing but the boss in front of him. Naofumi could not turn his head, because if he did, he would lose it. The rope that he clung on with all his remaining willpower was thin, too thin.

_**Where is he? He, who killed me?**_

"NAOFUMI-SAMA!"

"MASTER!"

Two people grabbed him.

Shadow held his right arm, the one holding the shield, while Raphtalia grabbed his face.

"Naofumi-sama, the enemy is over there! You must not lose yourself! It's okay to feel anger, even hatred, but don't lose sight of yourself!" Raphtalia shouted close to his ear, making the slitted pupils of the hero focus on her. Another tug, and the hero focused on Shadow.

"Master, use thy anger, let not it use you!" Althought shorter, Shadow's words conveyed the same feelings as Raphtalia's.

The hero felt his clouded vision clear up somewhat. He could still feel red and black flames at the corner of his vision, but they were held in. _Yeah, this is my fury! The rage is mine, I decide what to do with it!_ He tried to convince himself of the that. Deep down, the temptation of simply letting it go and rampaging about was very attracting, but he would lose something precious if he did so.

Now it was when Naofumi noticed the changes to himself and his shield. The flame pattern on the was much more organized, the flames now made up the body of a dragon spreading its wings. His **[Barbarian Lord Armor]** also changed, the metal parts blackening and resembling the texture of dragon scales. His arms were covered completely in black metal, the gauntlets covering his hands were akin to dragon claws, and even his olive green cape seemed to be dyed in a deep red color, looking much more ragged and rough. If one were to look at Naofumi, they would probably call him a demon, the spikes producting off his armor added to a pretty intense feeling of dread. The metal moved and shifted, immitating any and every move the hero did.

Ren, Motoyasu and Itsuki were completely stunned behind Naofumi, none daring approach the Shield Bearer.

"**Raphtalia, Shadow, thank you! Now, get away from me for a bit, I'll be ending this now!**" The girls hesitated, but soon released their hold on the hero. As they released him, Naofumi walked towards Soul Eater, the boss screeching and backing away from him.

Like earlier, a chant came on his mind. Like something he had known his entire life, yet discovered only now.

**Combo Skill Attack available:**

**-Pipe Shield (Shield Prison)+ Bonus Skill [Change Shield (Bee Needle/animal Needle)= Iron Maiden**

"**Shield Prison!**" At his command, Soul Eater was locked up inside a cage of shields. The boss struggled and bashed against them, but it never managed to exit it. "**Change Shield!**" Another skill; this time, many needles pierced the boss monster, making it howl in pain as it was secured in place. The cage of shields rose from the deck of the ship, the troubled skies above it now storming with forbidden power.

"**Foolish sinner! I hereby grant you this punishment: w****ithin this virgin of cold ore, who shall swallow even your screams with her embrace, suffer in anguish as your entire body is stabbed and skewered! IRON MAIDEN!**" From the storming skies, something descended slowly and methodically, as if wishing to extend each second of this tortuous execution. Soon, it came within everyone's sight; gleaming black metal covered in spikes and locked up by chain, the metal body came to meet the cage of shields and the being who it was going to execute. The chains unbound themselves from around the coffin-like structure, the metal doors opening slowly and noisily, revealing an interior filled with long, thick and sharp spikes ready to embrace such foolish sinner.

Shield prison then entered the metal contraption and the doors slowly closed up. They met some resistance from the cage of shields, as the eyes of everyone went from the scene in the sky to Naofumi. The Shield Hero lifted his right hand, left one holding his shield, and slowly closed his fist as if wishing to crush something inside his hand. The action timed rather perfectly with the Iron Maiden in the sky, the doors closing in with a loud noise and a screeching howl from Soul Eater.

***CCCLAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGG***

***SCCCCRRRREEEEEEEEEEEECCCHHHHHHHHHHHH***

**(end of BFG Division*)**

.

.

.

.

A few more seconds passed and the dame of cold ore vanished from sight, together with the cage of shields, leaving only the Soul Eater's body to fall on the deck of the ship, completely dead with innumerous stab wounds.

Silence reigned supreme...

Naofumi grunted, his steps becoming woobly for a few seconds. His Mana and SP bars were entirely depleted, [Iron Maiden] having required everything for its imense attacking power. **[Wrath Shield II]** swapped by itself into the **[Chimeric Viper Shield]**, Naofumi almost meeting the ground in a tired mess. He panted for a bit, Dera coming to coil around him and help him stand up. Firo, Raphtalia and Shadow were still in guard and high alert, making aa formation around him to protect the hero as he caught his breath.

The heroes' parties surrounded the dead body of the Soul Eater, many taking second glances at both the body and the tired Shield Hero.

Motoyasu poked the corpse with the butt-end of his spear. "What the hell, Naofumi? Since when could you fight this well?"

Naofumi was too tired to scoff at the idiocy of the Spear, using the effort to fish a potion out of his hip pouch. His hand shakily brought the glass vial to his mouth, Naofumi pouring the drink down his throat and regaining some mana and SP back.

The other two heroes stared at the monster's corpse, trying to puzzle out how had Naofumi acquired such skill to practically one-shot the boss that was giving them such trouble. It was fair to say that Soul Eater would be the equivalent of a Raid Boss, which would require multiple high-leveled and higly skilled fighters to finish it in a couple of hours. To simply one-shot the monster, what kind of skill was **[Iron Maiden]**?

Shadow used the distraction of the heroes and their parties to set a wire trap field around her Naofumi, just in case the other heroes got any funny ideas on their heads. _The stupidity of these morons is impressive. No wonder master is always angry at them. I know we have had to clean up their messes before, but for their incompetence to reach such levels, how did Melromark trust its future to such childish men? It matters not, my place is by master's side now. Queen, my lady, I'm sorry, but you are alone on your endeavors._

While Shadow set her trap field, Raphtalia sheathed her sword and went to attend to Naofumi. The hero was leaning against Dera, the hydra using her four heads to nuzzle and try to amuse and distract the hero from his tiredness.

"Naofumi-sama, how are you?" The raccoon girl asked worriedly. Naofumi took a few more seconds to regain his breath.

"R-Raphtalia...the wave-e? Is it o-over?" He asked her, but before a proper response from the girl, the hero felt a chill go up his spine.

***CHIIIILLLLLLLL***

Slowly descending from the crow nest on the mast of the ship, a powerful aura presented itself. Dark blue kimono wrapped neatly around her frame, a woman with silky black hair and holding two metal fans lightly stepped on the deck of the ship. She would be called a peerless beauty, were it not for her pupils, crimson colored with a vertical slit, presenting a cold feeling going down Naofumi's spine.

"Who are you?" Itsuki asked, worried expression painted on his face due to the fact he failed to realize the woman's presence. Being a Bow Hero, Itsuki was loaded up with scouting skills such as **[Enemy detection]** or **[Sense Presence]** to help him fill his enemies with arrows. Someone managing to slip by him, meant that whoever this person was, she was pretty high level.

Maybe the Bow Hero would worry more about her, were it not for the following growl that left the corpse of the Soul Eater, as another one exited the corpse's shadow.

"There is another one!"

"Watch out!"

"OH GODS!"

Confusion and panic threatened to spread among the parties present on the Ghost Ship. The second Soul Eater roared and circled around the floating ship, preparing to attack the new arrival. The kimono-clad woman seemed to be without any worry as she raised one of her open fans and slashes at the incoming threat.

**_*SLASH*_**

...

...

...

A swift and precise move, with no wasted motions.

It cleaved cleanly the second Soul Eater in two parts, the monster falling dead on the deck floor.

"Such a weak enemy and yet you struggle gracelessly against it. How pitiful must be the divine weapons, to have such pathetic holders." Her mocking speech as delivered with grace, almost making one would believe she was not degrading them. "Thankfully enough, I found the hero. What might be thy name, oh mighty Shield?" The woman's tone changed as her slitted eyes captured Naofumi's frame.

The Shield Hero finally caught his breath and stand upright. He focused his eyes on the woman's frame and exhaled, reforming his fighting stance. "In my country, it is considered rude to ask for someone's name without a proper presentation first." Naofumi countered, holding to gain even a few more seconds to think,

The woman nodded at his statement and held her fans close to her chest. "Pardon my rudeness, hero. My name is Glass. With that said, ready yourselves for combat. Our relationship is a hostile one." Her declaration made the three heroes look at her with confused faces.

Naofumi, on his part, firmed his stance. "Naofumi. Iwatani Naofumi." His response made the woman close her eyes in amusement, her lips forming a smile as she repeated the name for herself a few times.

"Right then, Naofumi, get ready! The real fight against the waves starts now!" Glass exclaimed, bursting into a sprint to attack him.

_Fucking hell, that wasn't the real wave? I'm quite beat up here, woman! There is no way I can keep fighting like this! _Naofumi darkly thought to himself, raising his shield. Raphtalia and Shadow quickly positioned themselves in front of him and got their weapons ready.

Glass would have continued her straight rush for Naofumi, but had to stop. A quick snap of her wrist and one of her metal fans opened to block an arrow shot by Itsuki. She resumed her run, gracefully side-stepping a slash from Ren, and once more trying to attack the Shield. Another attack was aimed for her, this time the woman jumped high to avoid the sharp spear attack from Motoyasu. His spear stabbed the air, Glass standing atop the extended shaft and kicking the blonde inn the face, gaining some distance from him and making him groan in pain.

Another quick burst of movement, but this time for a retreat, Glass backed away arrows rained on her previous position.

"Move out, I'll use fire magic and torch her!" Malty shouted, a firaball forming on her hand, her allies backing her up.

"Get her now!" Mustache-knight, from Itsuki's party, pointed his sword at the kimono-clad woman.

Glass stared in scorn at the groups, whispering something along the lines of _useless_. The raven-haired beauty opened her war fans and flipped them, asuming a position of attack as the gems on her fans lit up with power. Naofumi motioned for his group to stay behind him.

"**Martial Arts, Zero Ronde Form. Reverse Flow of Moon and Petals!**" Glass's form blurred as her hands moved with awe-inspiring speed, shooting energy blasts against the ship, the oposing heroes and their parties. Even Naofumi was dragged a few inches back, Firo and Dera helping him stay upright. Something crashed nearby the hero, his eyes finding Melty's passed out form sprawled on the ground. A dark smile spread on his lips even as his arms numbed at holding the weight of the attack that banged against his shield.

After the attack stopped, Naofumi lowered his shield, finding Glass slowly making her way closer to him. She was avoiding the defeated forms of the closeby heroes and their parties almost like one avoids garbage on the ground. "Defeated already? What poor subordinates you have, Naofumi!" Her voice echoed on the deck, Motoyasu and Ren struggling to stand up and saying "We aren't his minions!".

Not that the woman paid them attention, her predatory gaze and cheshire smile focused solely on the Shield Hero. He gulped, his throat dry, as Glass once more rushed his way. "Guerrila tactics!" He shouted, blocking a rather heavy blow from the lithe form of Glass. _Fuck, how does she hit so damn hard?! _His arms numbed as he was dragged further back, Glass still pushing to break past his defenses.

He managed to stop before he hit the wooden wall behind him, a stalemate between him and Glass as both used their physical strength to compete for dominace.

"Oh, how impressive!" Glass said, closing in on Naofumi as their clashing weapons launched sparks in the air. She was about to say something else, but had to break her offense on the Shield, dodging Firo's powerful kick. The following attack came from Dera, four heads launching countinous bite attacks against Glass, who was parring each and every one. A rather smart choice, considering Dera's mouth was full of poison that the Hydra was ever so happy to deliver to the woman who had dared to attacked her master.

A quick exchange happened between the kimono-clad woman and the Hydra, both separating and taking their distance from each other. Not that Glass had the time to rest, considering Raphtalia and Shadow dove in against her with flashing swords and daggers. Glass was ready to parry and counterattack the two girls.

***Swoosh***

A pity for her that her fans merely passed through both girls, gift of Raphtalia's ilusion magic. The woman widened her eyes, quickly taking a stance to defend a attack from her back. Her fans stopped Raphtalia's sword, but she could not stop Shadow's flying daggers nor Metal Thread Wire from wrapping all around her. Raphtalia retreated, allowing Shadow to completely bind Glass in razor sharp wires which were tied to the previously thrown daggers.

The woman kimono-clad woman was then sent flying towards the other end of the ship, a combined effort from Firo's kick and Dera's tail lashing, a sound like thunder as the blows struck the bound Glass.

A cloud of dust formed, but was quickly dispersed. Glass reappeared, a bit scuffed, but otherwise looking hale enough to continue fighting.

"Outstanding teamwork and coordenation. You quickly followed a plan set by your Hero, who only needed to speak a few words for your to understand. That is what I expected from you! Good work, Naofumi!" Glass complimented the Shield Hero's party, but her face soon hardened. "Yet, something is still lacking. Why won't you use your black shield? Why do you lack offensive power? Do you mock me?" If looks could kill, Naofumi would have dropped dead as per Glass's piercing gaze.

However, that also told Naofumi that she hadn't seen one of his secret counters. He and his party were delivering their best, but the level cap meant that his party was still limited. _The bitch thinks I'm going easy on her? I'm tired as fuck here! Besides, Shield Hero on the house, remember? I can't really keep dishing out attacks like these three idiots over here...unless..._

Naofumi approached Malty's passed out form, making Raphtalia shout at him. Although his objective was different, he couldn't help but smile lightly at the kindness of the raccoon girl, thinking he was going to ever touch the redheaded bitch out of anything but extreme necessity. His **[Appraisal]** skill told him that the bitch had something which could be useful right now, so he was taking the chance. Glass seemed to be wanting to fight in fair terms, so Naofumi was going to take her terms.

"What are you doing, Naofumi?" Glass asked, seeing him mess around with the passed out redhead.

He scoffed, standing up and showing to both Raphtalia and Glass the bottle he kindly "borrowed" from Malty.

**High-grade Elixir acquired!**

Naofumi opened the vial and drank all the liquid, feeling all his magic and SP quickly come back, as well as a portion of his stamina. Feeding the vial to his shield and ignoring the pop-up message on his HUD screen, Naofumi faced the kimono-clad woman.

"You wanted all my power?** Here it is!**" Naofumi's immediate surroundings lit up in black flames as his armor once more shifted, **[Berserker's Armor(Small)]** activated. The hero stared at the woman, seeing her facial expressions become neutral, yet focused on him.

Firo and Dera took the chance to attack, seeing as Glass was distracted. Well, she was not so distrated as to lose her awareness as she smacked the Philorial and the Hydra away with two brutal blows. Naofumi's rage spiked up seeing his precious girls be harmed, but he reigned himself in, letting his cursed flames hover close to himself.

Firo ended up being blown against the wooden wall of the captain's quarters while Dera broke through the floor of the deck. Shadow vanished, no doubt going to check on the Hydra as Raphtalia did the same for firo.

"Pardon my mistake, this ship is far from an apropriate battlefield; let's move to a proper place. Please, follow me!" Glass said with graceful manners, jumping without hesitation from the ship and slowly floating to an empty patch of land.

"Naofumi-sama, what should we do?" Raphtalia asked, helping Firo stand up.

Naofumi grumbled, extinguishing his flames and closing in on the hole where Dera had broken through the deck floor. Shadow emerged from the hole, the slithering Hydra following her a bit slowly. The hydra was showing signs of exhaustion, and coupled with the last blow she received meant that she probably would be out of the fight for now. The hero patted the Hydra's four heads and gave her one of his remaining potions. The third neck of the hydra was bruised up, blood slowly flowing from the cut that Glass infringed on her.

"Rest up girl." Naofumi said to Dera, then turned to Shadow. "You two will hang back and just observe the fight. If at any point it looks like we'll lose, you two jump and cause a distraction. We'll have time to retreat and think of a way to defeat Glass." The hero instructed the two, who both hesitantly nodded at his orders. "Shadow, your Metal Thread Wire was the best method to trap her, so making Glass forget about it will be the best for now. Keep her on her toes, cause some distractions if necessary, but leave the bulk of the fight for me, Raphtalia and Firo!" he explained himself and motioned for the philorial and the raccoon girl to get close.

"We need to get going. Can't have our enemy waiting too much, can we now?!" He sarcastically said, mounting Firo and patting her side. Raphtalia followed right behind and helped Shadow while Naofumi hoisted Dera up. The group went down and spotted Glass waiting for their arrival.

The group quickly took their positions, Naofumi, Raphtalia and Firo in the front while Shadow and Dera waited for their turn at the rear.

"Let's end this already!" Naofummi exclaimed.

"Well said, Naofumi. Do your best!" Glass confidently smirked, rushing to meet him. To her surprise, Naofumi also rushed in her direction, shield held out to catch her early blow. She smiled, eager to accept another bout of strength against him

It was surprising for her when Naofumi not only blocked her blow, but parried it. Her surprises only increased when suddenly, she exploded in black flames. Glass tried to swipe her fans, but Naofumi closed the distance, appearing within her personnal space, left hand holding his shield against her abdomen while his right hand snapped and closed around her left wrist, holding it like a vice with his suddenly new monstruous strength.

"**[Self-Immolation Curse]**!" He shouted, the flames increasing in power and intensity. Glass spun her wrist and kicked him, missing her attack but managing to free herself from his grasp and create some distance between them. Firo and Raphtalia hung back, not being able to approach the fight due to the cursed flames.

They cheered as Glass received the brunt of the flames. Their hapiness didn't last long, seeing as the raven-haired woman in kimono waved the flames away rather easily.

Glass waved her fans once more, throwing a shower of energy blasts against Naofumi, the Hero enduring the blows as they struck him nay times. The hero spat some blood, much to his own surprise. _She pierced my defenses? There is no way!_

"You lack long-range attacks, Naofumi! Your flames, while powerful, can only counterattack close-range assailants. However, I must compliment you. Being able to stay standing even after receiving all of my attacks is no small feat." The woman opened her fans and hid her lower face for a few instants, eyes trailing to the purple bruise on her left wrist. She then snapped her fans close and held then close to her chest. "It's nigh time you showed me your strongest attack, considering these petty tricks won't work on someone like myself." Glass snapped her fans open and blocked a few daggers aimed at her.

Naofumi growled.

_What the fuck are you, Glass? This fucking Wave thing, what in bloody hell is it? You think I'm here playing about? Fine! Let's see you deal with this one then!_

"**[Iron Maiden!]**" The metal coffin of death closed around the caged woman, Naofumi rushing close and releasing more of his cursed flame to surround Glass. As the **[Iron Maiden]** closed, the hero waited eagerly for the result, flames surrounding his frame as he looked his mana and SP bar once more drain until they hit zero. Imagine his surprise when the metal coffin exploded, Glass emerging from within unharmed.

Naofumi furiously stared at the woman, the cores embedded in his armor shining with purple-black light as said light gathered around him, growling leaving his throat at a rather audible rate. Glass smuggly smiled at him opening her fans. "Your attack was quite ineffective, Naofumi! I must say, I'm rather dissapointed at it. It seems like I have won!"

...

...

...

**Destroy her!**

**Mawl her flesh!**

The **[Berserker's Armor(Small)]** should have vanished soon after **[Iron Maiden]**, yet Naofumi was still equipped with both it and his **[Wrath Shield II]**, eyes hatefully staring at the woman in kimono standing in his way.

Glass eyed the hero with some caution, seeing the purple aura surrounding him taking shape. Red eyes emerged on the aura as the spikes on Naofumi's armor seemed to grow further. His green eyes became slitted, much like her own, but instead of cold and cunning, his eyes were displaying rage and savagery. Just like a monster ready to destroy all in his path.

_**I** will not **di**e h**er**e!_

***Ping***

**00:59**

**00:58**

**00:57**

"How could it be? This soon?" Glass exclaimed loudly. It seemed she was seeing the same timer as Naofumi, and if her panic meant what he hoped it did, they were saved by the literal tick of time. And Naofumi was going to take that tiny distraction of hers for sure.

"**_Fast Light!_**" Raphtalia rushed in with her light spell, blinding Glass with the sudden brightness.

Shadow did not waste the chance. A rain of daggers covered in Dera's poison flew from her hands at a rapid pace, which were followed by the whirling sound of her spinning apparatus dispersing Metal Thread Wire to bind Glass. As Shadow threw everything she had at the enemy, Firo rushed and grabbed Naofumi with her beak, throwing the hero on her back and waiting the others to climb on for them to get away from there.

Glass sensed the incoming attacks and began defending, too busy to avoid the next one, a cloud of poisonous gas, gift from one pissed off Dera.

"F**iro**, win**d** m**a**gic**!**" Naofumi shouted. The philorial obeyed the command, her wings flapping and creating a gale around Glass, sucking in the poison in a purple tornado. The hero allowed a last spark of cursed fire towards the woman as he and the girls fled at maximum speed away from the recurring explosion.

* * *

**[Soul Eater Shield unlocked]**

Naofumi released a tired sigh. The cracks in the sky, proof of the wave, had vanished and with them, Glass. As he returned to the now crashed and defeated Ghost Ship, the hero dragged the corpse of the boss he killed back to the safe area he had instructed the young knight to settle down. He immediately took his drops and feed them to his shield, hoping to avoid losing bonus if the other three idiots got greedy and demanded something. It was bound to happen.

He told the girls to rest inside the wagon as he began unloading medicine to take care of any injuried, but only Dera and Firo took the offer. They simply dropped dead and were quietly sleeping inside the wagon as he, Raphtalia and Shadow helped take care of the knights and any civilian hurt.

The people asked for the three idiots and Naofumi pointed to the wrecked Ghost Ship, after which many ran to try and help them. Not that the Shield Hero cared.

The rest of the day was spent treating wounds and recuperating from the fight.

The next day Naofumi, as always, was stuck with kitchen duty, cooking for everyone.

As he stirred the cooking pot, he appeared in deep thought as to the happenings of this wave.

_We all almost died. The fight was a mess and those three idiots were deadweight. To top if off, Glass pushed our shit in and if it wasn't for the timer, we'd be dead for sure. It's decided, we'll go to another country. If we stick in Melromark, only death awaits._

As those thoughts swam on his mind, Naofumi heard the sound of metal clanging. He rose his eyes from his cooking pot, seeing the knight commander and his troops approach the destroyed town. Naofumi took a deep breath, already picturing the trouble and headache that was bound to happen.

"Shield Hero! How dare you take command of my troops!"

_Jackpot!_ Naofumi sarcastically said on his mind, returning his attention to his food. "If you are here for the fight, you are a day late. But _nooooo!_ The Shield Hero helping the knights do their jobs, that's bad! Is fame all you care about? What a stupid question, of course that's all your pathetic ass cares about!" Naofumi said, waving the man off. "You're quite full of yourself, but I guess that shit piles up quickly. Now, instead of trying to nag me like you're my fucking wife, why don't you look around and take in the sight of all the job _YOU didn't_ do?!" The knigh commander flinched and his face became a new shade of red as he tried to offer a counter argument.

"Whatever, prick, I don't care. Your saviors are over there, resting after getting their shit pushed in. The villagers helped them, since I couldn't care less." Naofumi explained, pointing to one of the less destroyed buildings.

"WHAT?! Send them to medical care immediately!" Knight commander barked orders to his followers, the knights hurring to the building.

"Hey, prioritize the heavily wounded civilians! Those three won't die from a few scratches!" Naofumi himself barked at the captain, but the man shouted back, spittle flying from his mouth.

"The Heroes are a top priority of our Kingdom! They and their parties are our ultmost priority as they are our fighting bastion against the waves!" The captain demmanded efforts were focused on the three idiots, making Naofumi stand up from his seat and face the man.

"Prioritize the civilians." Naofumi's order was short and simple. The knights stopped moving and waited for orders from their captain, the man facing off against Naofumi. The two stayed in that way fro a few moments, neither man bulging from their positions, but as more time passed it became clear that Naofumi was gaining ground, seeing as the knight captain was sweating under his helmet.

"Y-you don't have command over my men! Besides, you have somewhere else you need to be! Follow with your obligations!"

* * *

**Melromark Capital, Throne room**

Naofumi was standing in front of Aultocray, the king still giving the hero the superior look.

"...I must say that you did your job reasonably well, Shield." The king spat the words. Not that Naofumi was pleased to be in the presence of this fucking waste of human skin. "How did you become so strong? This is a royal order, reveal the secret of your strength!"Aultocray demmanded.

Naofumi smirked, his hair covering his eyes for a few moments. "Yeah, without the so called precious heroes, this world ends up dead. Right." The hero rose his head and his dark expression lit with sadistic glee. "On your knees!"

The silence inside the room spoke more than any word could ever do. Aultocray looked shocked to his core, slowly trying to grasp what had just been said. "...w-what?"

"Your hero is here, right?! You answer to every demmand the heroes make, so it's time I make one of my own." Naofumi shouted, snarling and making the row of knights protecting the king flinch. "GET OFF YOUR FAT ASS, KNEEL LIKE A LITTLE BITCH AND BEG FOR ME TO SAVE YOUR SHITTY COUNTRY, TRASH!"


	11. Here comes the Shield Demon!

**AUTHOR NOTES.**

**Hey people, Ryujin Maou (Draconic Demon Lord) here! Welcome back to another chapter!**

**ALERT!**

**This will be a warning for the usual readers as well as any newcomers. We are about to enter the [Shield Demon]-arc, which will depict many +18 scenes with heavy and disturbing themes such as extreme violence, torture, deep psychologicall issues, sex and possibly rape. Some of these are not appropriate for the site, but I'll risk my neck out and put them in here anyway. If you are squemish about such things, my recommendation is for you to either stop reading or skip the arc. Don't spoil the fun of those that are mature to read and understand that this is a work of fiction (Fan-FICTION, who'd fucking guessed?) and that none of this is real. I'll work with human betrayel and how shitty humans can be, but also sprinkle in some hope. My intention with this story is to present a grey narrative. Naofumi isn't some good guy, neither are Motoyasu, Ren and Itsuki pure evil but mere convenient fools and all that jazz, such things are subjetive and all that bla bla bla from phylosophy that you don't want me to blabber on about here in AU. I aspire to better my writing with every project I work on, and your opinions are important!**

**With all of that out of the way, let's rock and roll!**

* * *

**The Wrathful Demon Shield Awakens. (cue first 23 seconds of the Pillar men theme)**

* * *

**Melromark Castletown, Throne Room.**

The silence that followed Naofumi's shout echoed inside the throne room. The royal guards stared at the hero as if he had grown a second head, the bold statement being too far from normal comprehension.

"Wh-wha..ahh..d-d-did..." Jumbled and nonsensical noises exited the king's mouth, his expression shocked to his very core. Never in his entire life had Aultocray been directed in such manner.

Naofumi chuckled in a manner not unlike a mafia boss, his imposing posture exuding extreme confidence in his abilities. "Is your head filled with trash too, that you can't understand a simple request?" The Shield Hero asked with a smug expression. "I guess that's to be expected from such garbage like you, trash!"

Aultocray rose from his seat in a sudden movement, his face scarlet in tone as he howled in obvious anger. "HOW DARE YOU?! I'm the curreng ruling king, you impertinent shield! I'll not take such disrespect from a villanous scondrel like you! GUARDS!" The king rose his hand in a sweeping motion, the royal guards all raising their spears and pointing them to the Japanese hero. The Shield looked at the spears unimpressed "What is keeping you from beheading this swine?!" He asked in a curdling tone.

Naofumi laughed again, focusing the attention of all people present in the room back at him.

"Man, you really are a fucking idiot! You think your pathetic knights can do anything against me? I am the hero who defeated the last wave, trash!" Naofumi's smirk was beffiting of a crime boss. He started walking directly towards the Melromark king, the guards still poiting their spears at him. One of the braver knights shoved the weapon towards Naofumi, expecting the same result from Two and a half months ago, when Naofumi and the other heroes had just been summoned. To the surprise of all those present, excluding the Shield Hero, the weapon bounced off before it even came close to touching the hero's armor, a thin layer of green magic showing itself surrounding Naofumi.

The Shielder continued his unhurried steps towards the throne, brushing aside the weak attempts of the royal guards at repelling him from their sovereign. As he came face to face with the cause of his many troubles in the human nation, Naofumi felt a flame lit in his heart, his hatred for the literal human garbage in front of him stiring up, begging for a release. His pupils slitted and the intimidating gaze forced the "king" in front of him to sit back on the throne.

"As soon as the waves finish, the heroes are free to go back to their worlds, right? Until them, I'll cooperate with you, if only because I have no other choice in this regard; however, don't get things mixed up. I have absolutely no qualms about killing you right now! The only thing holding me back is the troublesome fallout that would follow. So listen here, you fucking waste of human skin! You better fucking stop bothering me, or I might begin considering regicide a rather interesting hobby." Each word Naofumi said was followed by a miasma surrounding him, the illusion of a draconic beast appearing over the hero as the dressed down Aultocray, the king too stunned and intimidated to shot any remark back against the hero.

Finishing his piece, Naofumi cocked a fist back and let lose a rather blinding punch beside the king's head. The fist struck the carved wooden throne with a loud _bang _as wood splintered under the physical strenght of the Shield Hero. As he retracted his fist, Naofumi also palmed the head of the king, relieving him of a familiar weight on his head.

"I'll be taking this as interest for all the bullshit you have put me through until now, you tosser! Next time you think you can play the mighty god, remember to not marry into royalty like a fucking gold-digging whore!" Grasped on Naofumi's right hand was the king's crown. This would be one of the rare instances in the world where silence was loud. Aultocray opened his mouth like a fish out of water as Naofumi fed his crown to his shield, the green gem of the shield eating the metal piece with gusto.

**[Royal Shield unlocked] [King Shield unlocked] [Amethist Shield unlocked]**

His stunt done, Naofumi turned around, his cape smothering the king momentarily, and marched down the doors of the throne room.

"YOU SHAMELESS SHIELD! NEVER SHOW YOUR FACE AGAIN IN THIS SACRED PLACE! DEVIOUS DEMON!" As Aultocray shouted his lung out, Naofumi continued his march unimpeded by the stunned guards. The hero waved his hand in the air without turning, but just before he exited the wooden doors of the room, his middle finger rose to give the monarch in command a last compliment.

"SSSSHHHHHIIIIIIEEEEEELLLLLLDDDDDDD!"

* * *

"As if I'd ever want to come here again!" Naofumi commented to himself, descending one of the many sets of stairs that would lead him outside the castle. As he reached the bottom of the staircase, a woman waited there. Fancy dress and perfect form, the woman wore a golden crown and hid behind a silk handfan. The sight of the acessory unnerved Naofumi, the hero remembering Glass and her destructive attacks.

He passed by the woman without saying a word. However, the woman called out to him.

"Shield Hero Naofumi-sama, my sincerest gratitudes for your most excelent job in repelling the waves. Your work was most impressive, _gozaru_." Naofumi mostly ignored the woman's words, but her final add-on made him stop his steps. He turned on his heels, eyes focusing over the frame of the woman.

"Finally decided doing something more than spy on other people's business?" His rough and acusing tone made the woman tilt her head sideways. _Playing the ignorant card, huh? _Naofumi narrowed his brows as his still slitted eyes focused directly on the woman's form. Something made it hard for him to focus on her face, and realization downed on his face as he recognized the magic said woman was using. "A shadow playing the main role is just smoke and mirrors." He said to her, turning to leave. With his back turned, he couldn't see the shocked expression of the double-body.

Shadow had been telling him all about the Queen's secret spy order and how she supposedly used them to better control her country. He could hate the country with all his being, but he could admit that the idea was a good one. Information was a precious thing for those in powerful positions, and as such, it needed to be delivered with urgency and precision. What better than to have a secret unit of stealth-focused assassins at your beck and call? He had truly lucked out when he acquired Shadow with the Slave Dealer. All his slaves so far had proved to be most excelent, which only rose complicated feelings inside his heart about the slavery system. The hero released a sigh and continued his way to exit the castle. Hopefully he would be out of this shitty country in a week.

"Wait right there!" Someone shouted at him and blocked his way. Naofumi focused on the tiny frame of Second Princess Melty. The girl was right in the middle of the hall, extending her arms in a vain hope of blocking his passage. "Go back inside and speak properly with father!" She demmanded to him.

Not that Naofumi really paid it any mind, easily stepping aside and circling over the blue haired girl to continue making his way out of this place.

Not even bothering to turn his head, Naofumi spoke out. "Your father doesn't want to talk, and believe me, the feeling is mutual. I don't have time to waste." He knew it was a bad idea coming here, but both Raphtalia and Shadow somehow had managed to convince him that maybe the monarch had something useful to say. He should have known better than to waste time in the trip to the capital. At least he could talk with Old Man Erhart and the other people he knew.

Melty turned to him and shouted once more.

"How could you say that?! How could discussing the waves with father be a waste of time?" The girl's voice was beginning to grate at the hero's nerves. She was going to blabber on and on if he allowed it.

"Stop bothering me and go do something useful. At least your fucking bitch of a sister is out there fighting with that wanker Motoyasu. Of what use are you, Second Princess?" His words were laced with potent venom, stunning the kid princess still in place. "Keep pestering me and see if I won't kill you." He finished his piece on Melty by turning his head slightly back, right eye glancing over the princess, whom had wet eyes now. His slitted eye looked her from the bottom of her shoes to her head and he scoffed, finding her unworthy of something only he could see.

Princess Melty would not allow anyone to look at her like that! She wiped her wet eyes with the sleeve of her expensive dress and firmed her almost wavering voice before speaking out once more.

"Why would you say something so harsh?"

The hero once more stopped his boots, this time not even dignifying the princess with a side glance. "Harsh? I'm being the harsh one? Don't fucking make me laugh. You really belong with the garbage in this place." He left, stunning Melty in place once more.

The girl tried to say anything else of substance, but she was not accustomed to such treatment and thus, was slow on the uptake. Why would the Saint (Savior) of the Heavenly Fowl and Tri-Serpent say that to her? _How could someone so foul-mouthed, rude and crass raise such gentle people as Firo-chan and Raphtalia-san?_

Melty took pride in her mental endurance. Being trained under her mother meant long and difficult hours of dealing with head-strong nobles fully focused on their own interests, the ever-expanding and powerful Church of Three Heroes and the constant threat of a Silvelt attack. The waves had being a harsh blow her country had been forced to face not too long after their defeat under Silvelt forces, ten years being too short for a nation to fully stabilize itself with their present conditions.

How could one man take such a toil on her mental capabilities? How and why was the Shield Hero so hostile towards them? Why did he have to be so rude when dealing with her, when just a few days prior to his discovery of her royal status he had been a mostly neutral, if closed-off, individual.

* * *

**Magic Shop, Melromark comercial district.**

The owner of the shop, the plump witch whom had helped Naofumi before, now sat on her favorite chair, eyes examining the young woman in front of her.

Much like herself, the young woman wore traditional, black witch robes and a wide brim hat. Black locks cascaded behind her back, adding a charm to the girl. She was propping herself up with a well crafted, silver colored staff. The ravenette released a sigh, rolling her shoulders and making her rather bountiful chest bounce up slightly.

"Aunt, are you sure about this?" The young woman spoke in a rather laid back tone, eyes lazily looking up to the plump witch. "The librarian wasn't bothered by my presence there, and I earned enough to pay for my stay there."

The plump witch shook her head with a soft movement, dissaproving the lazy response from her niece. "Felicia, books are not the only important thing for a magician. Field experience is necessary if one wants to truly master the arcane arts. You have an amazing gift, it would be wasted if you stuff yourself inside a library all day."

Felicia grabbed her hat and took it off from her head, one hand still holding her staff as the other went deeper inside the wide-brim hat than it was supposed to. **Dark arts magic, Pocket Dimension,** an advanced spell that could allow one to warp the fabric of space and effectively carry anything one wished for, so long as they had the mana to. Felicia pulled her hand out from her hat and placed it back atop her black hair, a decorated smoking pipe and a bag of leaves on her hand.

"Aunt, I'm pretty content with simply studing magic. Faubley is not so bad, and the adventurer's guild pays me enough for the jobs I do. I fail to see how traveling with one of the Four Heroes could be of benefit for me. **Fast Ignitum**." Felicia easily lit her pipe with a simple snap of her fingers, flame sparks hovering over one end of her pipe as she pulled in calming smoke in her lungs. Another proof of her talent was how she simply shortened her magic chant to two words. Normally, anyone wishing for the full effects of any spell had to chant the entirety of the magic formula, otherwise the effect would fall by 50% or more. The only people who could shorten their chants without suffering the effect on their magic were either the Four Heroes or Grand Master-level magicians.

For Felicia to do such a thing when she was still Lv40, without a class up, was unheard off. The secret of her power was her skill was in her ability to read the flow of mana and her perfect memory when it came to magical spell structure. Were it not for her obvious laziness, Felicia would probably be leading a magical revolution on Faubley as a Grandmaster Archmage. The only reason Felicia had not upped her class was the girl's own lazy behavior.

She puffed smoke up in the air as she searched for a chair to sit down. Lazily strolling to it, the ravenette practically crumbled on the chair as she pulled in more smoke.

"Felicia, traveling is fun. All kinds of adventures await you out there, many trials that will test your excelency over magic and help you truly improve. There will be none of those pesky nobles trying to force you into marriage or acquire will as a mistress. The Shield Hero is a rather decent fellow, he shall protect you. Please, at least try and see if you have fun." The witch pleaded with her niece.

The duo of witches began a back-and-forth argument as Felicia present a myriad of lazy arguments to try and dodge the proposition, with her aunt pushing many better and flawless counterpoints against the young spell caster.

Over twenty minutes later, Felicia gave up trying to win over her aunt. Blowing a rather thick cloud of smoke in the air, the black haired witch tiredly caved in.

"This Shield Hero fellow must be a interesting person, if the **_Polymorph Witch_** keeps on banging about him." Felicia fixed her glasses in place before looking up at the ceiling and taking another puff of her pipe. "I'll try to acompany him, but if I decide to leave him, I will leave him." The young witch informed her aunt, finishing her smoke and putting away her pipe inside his hat.

The plump witch giggled softly, pleased. "The years pass and yet you still are that rebelious brat I taught. Let's keep the silly titles aside, **_Spacial Rend Witch_**, please?" At the metion of the name, Felicia cringed and pulled her hat over her face in shame.

"It was only one time!"

As the ravenette tried to bury herself in the wooden chair, the bell over the entry door of the shop jingled, announcing a possible customer. The plump witch happily skipped to atend the person.

"Right on time, Shield Hero-sama!" Felicia slightly peeked one eye from the brim of her hat, finally seeing the figure of the famous (or rather infamous) Shield Hero. Her peeking eye widened a bit as she took in the features of the foreign hero. Rogue-faced in appearance and black hair like hers, the man was covered in armor befitting a bandit leader or some other fiendish-archtype. Strapped to one of his arms was one thick book, which emitted a rather powerful wave of magic. The hero seemed to be built like a brick wall, and his presence gave off a rather heavy aura, dark magic enlaced within a thick layer of magical defense. Felicia doubted she could pierce his defenses unless she brought some heavy firepower to the table.

"I got your letter." His every word and breath seemed to exhale dark magic, but only Felicia was able to "_see_" the dark flames that encased him like thick armor. Over him, looming like an apex predator, a purple miasma-like aura floated. Red eyes emerged on the aura and looked at the young witch, the auditory illusion of a roar filled her ears as the being suddenly dissapeared.

"Felicia, come meet Shield Hero-sama!"

The young witch came closer, eyes fixed on Naofumi.

"Shield Hero-sama, this young girl is my niece, Felicia _Zauberer*. _As I have commented with you before, her family and I were worried she'd end up spending the rest of her days inside Faubley's Magic Academy Library. She is a rather special spell-caster, so I believe she will prove herself to be a wonderful addition to your party. Please, treat her with care!" The plump witch motioned for Felicia to present herself.

Naofumi waited for an introduction, but instead of that, the witch with black locks of hair grabbed his hands in a quick movement, bringing him close to her.

"Please, Shield Hero, let me study your magic!" Felicia stared the hero directly in his eyes, her own black orbs shining with stars.

* * *

_I swear, it's one thing after the other! _Naofumi grumbled to himself. After the sudden addition of a new party member in Fecilia, the hero returned to Erhart's weapon shop, the witch following right behind his back, noting a great deal while staring at his back. It was somewhat creepy, having a woman mumble behind your back as she followed you. Presenting the girl to his party had gone rather well.

Raphtalia, remembering the deal he had struck with the plump owner of the magic shop, received the new party member with her usual enthusiasm. Felicia looked up from her notepad for a few instances and said some quick introduction to the raccoon girl before she returned to her notes. It made the raccoon girl give a wry smile, seeing her welcoming introduction be brushed aside like that.

Shadow was no different. The rogue-assassin made an effort to talk with the witch, seeing as it as the first person her master introduced to the party that wasn't a slave. The ravenette lightly acknowledge the presence of the hooded girl and continued following the Shield Hero's back like a lost puppy.

Firo had more luck, as she turned into her Philorial form to give the witch a welcoming hug. To the previous girls' surprise, the witch paid attention to Firo, engaging in conversation with the bird. Firo was happy to have one more friend to talk, but soon the blonde girl discovered that Felicia spoke words too hard for her to understand and soon Firo was looking at the witch with a doopey smile. "Onee-chan, you know lots of difficult words!"

Dera tried to avoid the witch like she carried the plague. Since Felicia approached the Hydra, she began machine-gun talking about magic theories and questioning the four-headed reptilian about one billion things. Dera was now tightly coiled around Naofumi, making his job of loading his wagon about ten times harder, her four heads hissing menacingly at the witch.

When she wasn't hounding the members of his party about magic, Felicia was content with quietly reading some of her's grimores or smoking. Outside of her magic, the young witch mostly kept to herself, paying for all her expenses, which pleased the hero. She was also extremely lazy. A fact that Naofumi was quick to identify, seeing as she would lean on anything as if extremely tired or simply fall asleep at random moments. One of those moments happened as Naofumi was buying a few spare swords for Raphtalia to use, Felicia leaned on the counter of the shop. Five minutes later, she was asleep.

Currently the group was on the road, Naofumi taking stock of his products, Raphtalia checking her equipment together with Shadow and ironically, Dera and Felicia were sleeping the afternoon away, the witch leaning on the four-headed Hydra as if she was a dakimakura (full sized body pillow). Firo chirped one random song she heard at the inn they stayed while on the capital, while the hero took in the scene of the orange glow of the setting sun over the horizon.

He had instructed Firo on which roads to take as they began making their way to Silvelt. Taking in the fact that Aultocray had banned his party from class up, Naofumi had little choice on the matter. Not that he would miss this piece of shit of a country.

_Place is full of asshats and cunts. However, there are a few people worth here_. Naofumi let his thoughts wander as he looked at the girls inside the wagon. Much as he hated Melromark, the place had been where he had found his party. Would Raphtalia be alive had he not been forced to result to slavery? Of course his mind calculated an immediate response that she would not have been a slave if not for Melromark's soldiers looting her village. In the end, thinking about _"if"_ would not result in much, so the hero left that particular train of thought behind.

He finished taking stock of his stuff, so he focused his mind on another activity. He took his carving tools and the project he had recently beein working on. The body of the guitar had been carefully carved, and Naofumi took the extra effort to add details on the body of the guitar such as half moons and crashing waves. A few extra coins to Erhart and he had thin metal chords, and leftover material to guild certain parts of his guitar with thin layers of gold and silver.

Naofumi was no musician and to be honest, the idea of him being one was rather laughable. However, the trying days in this world made him wish to experiment and try other things. He would regret if he made mistakes in his choices, but he would regret much more if he didn't even try.

With that as his inspiration and many hours of trial and error, he had now a product of his work, something that he was proud to say he had created. Naofumi slowly and carefully strung the taut chords of his guitar, carefully listening to the sounds each chord released as he strung the chords. When he decided that all the chords were rightly taut, he tried hitting a tune.

It wasn't exactly a pleasant sound.

He looked over the girls, each doing their own thing. Raphtalia now was busy reading a book, Shadow was out of sight, Dera still asleep as Felicia was looking outside the wagon with her pipe on hands. Naofumi was pleased with this moment.

As they camped outside that night, the hero went deep in the night, trying different tunes and ways to improve his skills with his newly made guitar.

* * *

**One week later.**

_*BANG!*_

The sound of two hands slamming atop his table was something that Naofumi certainly didn't appreciate, especially this early in the morning. _Leave it to monarchy to become such a bother! _He munched on his food, staring flatly at the perpetrator of such indecent sin _(disturbing someone's breakfast)_.

"I've finally found you!" Melty Q. Melromark, also known as the Second Princess. She'd be the one bothering Naofumi this far from the capital and this early in the morning.

Did he mention the time already? Because it was fucking _early!_

"Shield Hero! Go back to the capital and apologize to my father immediately!" Melty's shouting voice disturbed many of the present patrons, but the owner of the inn couldn't exactly kick her out, that with the many guards she had behind her.

Naofumi continued munching on his breakfast.

Raphtalia had a wry expression as she tried to finish her food, only to be interrupted by Melty's sudden bang on the table.

Firo had already finished her meal, being the glutton she was. She wanted to go and play with Melty, but her master's annoyed expression was enough to dissuade her.

Shadow was already gone from sight.

Dera was under the table, a low hissing leaving her due to the approach of these bothersome people. Many tried to identify the source of the hissing, missing that it came from under the table of the Shield Hero.

Felicia was lazily leaning on her chair, tired eyes taking in the sight of this early eyesore as she slowly puffed out smoke, a steaming mug of coffee laid on the table in front of her.

...

...

...

"Shield hero! Have you heard me? Go back and apologize to father!" The princess shouted again at the group.

_Munch munch~_

_Stareeee~_

**_*BANG*_**

"SHIELD HERO!" Another loud smack on the table as Melty almost shrieked this time. Naofumi slowly rose from his chair, dragging it as slow as possible. Hitting his full height, the hero directed his gaze not at the princess, but at the owner of the inn.

"Here you go." Paying for everyone in his table, the hero motioned for his party to follow him as he exited the inn, ignoring the fumming princess in blue.

He took his group and left, searching the nearest alley to give himself a shortcut to reach his wagon. Melty followed, hot on his heels.

"Why are you ignoring me?! Stop right now!" She bellowed at him.

Almost at the exit of the alley, Naofumi felt a tug on his cloak. He turned around to find Raphtalia looking at him with pleading eyes.

"Shouldn't we at least listen to her, Naofumi-sama? Melty-san is not a bad person." The pleading look the raccoon girl gave him made him sigh in defeat._ Goddammint, she looks like a tanuki! Arhhg, fucking hell! Why does it look so cute?_

"You are so noisy! What do you want?" He stopped and turned to meet the second princess. She took a few seconds to recompose herself, her face flushed due to her previous shouting.

"A-apologize to my father. You two need to make up, or mother might..."Melty stopped talking, her voice gaining a weak tone as she tried her best to not sob.

Naofumi huffed, already regretting listening to Raphtalia in this matter. "Really? Using tears now, does the fake act come as a family skill or something?" The hero berated the princess. He would keep going, but he caught sight of the row of guards behind the girl, the men a bit too close for comfort. One of the knights unsheated a dagger while the other brought a orb from under his cloak. And then he tried to stab the princess.

Melty was left confused as the hero suddenly rushed her way, pulled her backwards as he made a movement to parry aside someone. A well decorated dagger fell on the ground as the leader of the guards was pushed away.

One of the knights clicked his tongue as all of them began unsheating their swords. The captain drew his weapon and made to attack the hero, his sword stopped still due to Naofumi and his shield. As the weapons collided and released sparks, Melty couldn't help but release a scream.

"KYAAAAHHHHHH!"

Naofumi's fist clocked the knight captain with a certain jab, breaking the nose of the man and repelling him once more. The man grunted as his nose began bleeding, yet he merely retreated, his men also not moving in to attack. _Are they being over cautious or..._

"What the hell are you thinking?" Naofumi tried to question the knight's actions, but the entire group began shouting over him, acusing tones.

"How dare you try kidnapping the Second Princess, scum?!"

"Vile Shield, have you finally shown your true colors!?"

"Demon! You shall be exorcised by God!"

As the knights shouted insults and curses, they began retreating from the group. _Why are they running away? What the fuck! Kidnapping? As if I would be retarded to kidnapp a fucking princess...wait, are those bastards trying to pin something on me?_

"Get them!" Naofumi barked his orders, the girls springing into action. Raphtalia and Firo were the first to jump and attack, pinning three knights on the ground. Dera quickly slithered her way on the rooftops and then sprayed a cloud of very, very diluted poison over. Five more went to the ground, clutching at their throats and bawling their eyes out due to irritation caused by the Hydra's poison.

Felicia yawned, not needing to do a thing. Shadow had done more than enough, cutting the exit route of the remaining knights, who suddenly found themselves entangled into very thin and very sharp wire.

A few meters of rope and a few wacks over the heads, courtesy of one angry Raphtalia, all the twelve guards were rounded up.

Some were passed out, others had swollen faces that disabled them from immediate intel gathering. Naofumi chose one of the less scuffed knights, who so happened to be the captain and the one who tried to stab the princess on the back. Naofumi found the man pretending to be asleep, so he gifted the man a few smacks on the face. Each slap echoed in the alley, Felicia wincing at the sound. She knew Naofumi was physically strong, but his attacking status was quite low when compared to his absurd defense. That didn't mean that his blows didn't carry force, which now that the witch stopped to ponder, made absolute sense. She smilled maliciously, taking her notepad and waiting eagerly for the next actions of the hero.

For once, Shadow relented and appeared behind the witch, whom seemed to not be perturbed by the sudden presence behind her.

"Mind if this one accompanies your annotations?"

The witch shrugged her shoulders and stared at Naofumi. "Knock yourself out!"

"How about that, sir? Are you awake?" Sarcasm dripped from the hero's voice as he rose his right hand, ready to deliver more if the knight misbehaved. "Now, mind explaining the reasons as to why you all are trying to pin the blame of this _kidnapping_ of yours on my back?"

Not one of the knights opened their mouths with a response for the hero. Naofumi huffed, not realizing the tiny sparks of black flames that exited his nostrils. He ignored the excited noise that Felicia made.

The Shield Hero began looking over the knights, trying to find a reason as to why they had tried to kill a princess. Not that Naofumi was any better, threatening to commit regicide against Aultocray, but he had his reasons. A few minutes inspecting the knights and voila! He found a rosario hung around the neck of the knight captain. Bow, sword and a spear. Devolts of the state religion of Melromark, the Church of Three Heroes. Naofumi burst out laughing as he snapped the chain that held the rosario around the neck of the knight and showed his discovery to the girls .

Raphtalia, Shadow and Melty seemed to be the ones most affected as they eyed the symbol of faith.

"In a religion where there are only three holy weapons, all of them offensive, a shield seems to be evil incarnate!" With each word that left his mouth, Naofumi's tone became darker and darker. Melty avoided his gaze, worry painting her face.

"Melromark still worships those crazies? Aunt was telling me how their faith was dwindling, and I can see why." Felicia's lazy tone echoed in the alley, together with a puff of smoke.

The knight captain suddenly began laughing, gathering the attention of the group towards him.

"Get ready for your end, Shield Demon! Even if you captured us here, the news of your devious actions have already reached the capital. The bounty over your head will be the highest possible for your crimes!" The knight laughed smuggly at Naofumi, even with his busted lip and cherry-red cheeks.

"What crimes? As far as I know, you were the assholes trying for the princess's life." Naofumi crossed his arms and furrowed his browns, closing in on the knight. "Are you trying to pin your assassination attempt on me?"

"Hahahaha! Scum like you, who has killed royalty, will be persued no matter where you go! There is no escape, Shield Demon! Our God will subdue you!"

Melty was beyond shocked at this instance. Naofumi clenched his fist, anger simmering inside his heart.

* * *

**_*!LAST WARNING!*_**

**Scenes ahead will depict clear acts of torture and bodily harm. Don't attempt to do this at home, and if anyone asks, you know nothing, John Snow!**

* * *

"Raphtalia, take Firo and Felicia to the wagon and wait for me! Shadow, I believe you know how to extract information from people." It wasn't a suggestion. Naofumi ordered and he was expecting his orders to be completed.

Raphtalia displayed a clearly worried face. "Naofumi-sama, I don't believe there is need for us to-..." Naofumi extended his hand to Raphtalia, making the raccoon girl quiet down.

"**Ra**ph**ta**li**a**." It was only her name, but the girl felt a shiver run down her spine. Naofumi was trusting her to do his command. He was about to dive once more into the abyss of his hatred and was hoping to spare her of the ugly side he was about to unleash. His eyes slitted into those of a predator.

"Master, this one is at your beckoning call." Shadow gave her response, already whirling a great deal of Metal Thread Wire. The knight captain was beginning to sweat under the dangerous atmosphere. The mission was simple, but now that he was captured by the Shield... _No, he is just trying to scare me. Scum like him isn't courageous enough. _

The only thing the knight captain forgot to factor in was the girl Naofumi was calling Shadow. He was under the impression that the hero was faking being able to communicate with the elites of Melromark's spy network for both the Queen and the Church. Too bad for him, this hooded girl was the real deal.

"Naofumi-sama, I refuse! I can't abandon you here and pretend that this isn't happening!" Raphtalia said, moving closer to the Shielder. She grabbed one of his hands. "I promised that I'd be your sword for now and forever. I need to be by your side, otherwise how can you fight?" Her tear-filled eyes hed conviction. They almost made Naofumi back out and give up on this interrogation. Yet, this hate of his had nowhere to go, it wanted to be unleashed and it screamed for retribution.

"Naofumi!" Felicia made her way closer to the Hero. "My aunt asked for me to support the Shield Hero, saying that he was a great man. I have yet to find fault on her arguments. Now, go ahead already. The sooner we deal with this, the sooner we will understand how deep the dragon's nest is." The ravenette used a weird methaphor, but her intentions were clear nonetheless. "Besides, this type of people remind me of the nobles back in Faubley." The witch's eyes turned into something different for a few seconds.

"W-wait wait, w-what are you planning on doing?" Melty, whom Naofumi had honestly forgotten about, asked with a trembling voice. The hero rose one of his brows. _Have you been sheltered from this kind of thing? You might have salvation yet. Heh, as if. _

"I think I have been rather forward with my statement." Naofumi declared. A quick flicker of his wrist and his shield shifted for the **[Medicine Shield]**. Shadow hurried and swapped the knight captain from his rope bindings to a more metalic one. "I don't have time to deal with you, Second Princess. Firo, hold her and both of you are to face that way!" Naofumi commanded, pointing to the other end of the alley. "No matter what happens, until you hear my voice, you are forbidden from turning this way!".

"Okay~" With a rather childish response, Firo turned into her philorial form and hugged Melty, keeping the girl from looking the way Naofumi instructed.

"Firo-chan, unhand me! Shield Hero, you! What do you thin-" Melty was interrupted by the very loud sound of Naofumi's fist once more strucking the face of the knight captain, this time making the helmet of the man fly off.

***SMACK***

"They called me **[Shield Demon];** I can't let their expectations of me down, right?!" The hero's voice sounded cold and harsh, the noise of another haymaker striking the captain, who grunted in pain.

"_I am the source of thy power. I command thee, o void, grant me the everlasting silence that only thy embrace is capable of._ _**All Dritte Fall, Null Zone**_." It was the first time Naofumi had heard Felicia chant. He know understood why she could afford to be so lazy, yet so succesful. The entire alley was washed away in magical power, the two exits of the alley covered in a thin layer of something. "We should have plenty of time now. Two hours at the very least. No noise will leave this space, knight-san, so you can be as loud as possible. I want to study what magic techniques the Shield Hero knows to employ tortur-...er, _ahem_, forceful information gathering."

Shadow used her wires to prop the captain up, like a puppetter uses the strings of their puppets. Another haymaker flew on the man's face, this time the blow hit with a wet sound as it broke the skin above the knight's left brow.

***Thud***

***Thud***

***Thud***

A rather mean sequence of twenty punches from the hero made the face of the knight captain, so smug before, unto a bloody pulp. It was rather crude and simple, as far as Shadow knew.

"**Fast Heal**" Naofumi's chanted magic healed the captain's face, who looked at the hero as if he was crazy. Had he given up and decided to apologize for his horrible transgressi-...

The knight's line of thought was literally shaken off as another blow struck his face. The pain became rather profound, the recently healed skin much tender to sustain another sudden beatdown like that. The man closed his eyes, waiting for another blow to rain in his face. It never came.

Instead, Naofumi forcefully took off the leather gloves and gauntlet that protected both hands of the knight. Holding one imobile hand, courtesy of Dera and her new paralisys poison, Naofumi held no qualms about grasping the, weirdly soft for a knight, indicator finger of the captain and using of his physical strenght, Naofumi broke the finger by pulling 180 degrees and then spinning the metacarpal bone out of the socket.

***Crack***

"AHHHHHHHH!" The captain screemed in pain, making Melty flinch from her hold within Firo's wings. She tried to move and stop this madness before anyone could get into bigger problems, but her hands began trembling. Naofumi had saved her from being shanked by her own royal guards. He was being acused of a crime he never commited, with her name being smeared in such phalony.

Yet there was nothing the Second Princess could do, besides hear the result of Naofumi's judgement over the men who had wronged him. He seemed certain about giving a real reason for the Church of Three Heroes to hate him. _No! No! NO! This is not right! A hero shouldn't behave like that! A hero should be kind and strong to protect those weaker than himself-_

***Crack* **

***Crack***

"HYYYYAAAAGAGAGAGGAGAGAGAGA!" The knight captain screemed ever louder as the sound of bones snapping echoed inside the alley.

"It was only three fingers. You still have seven on your hands and another ten with your feet. The pain will stop as soon as you tell me what I want!" Phrases that befitted a criminal boss or a bandit leader left the mouth of the Shield Hero. "You are a big man and the leader. You have to set an example to your subordinates. Why are you already shouting this loud when I only broke three of your fingers? **Fast Heal**! Tell me the plans of the church!" Naofumi accentuated his point with another haymaker, this time the dull sound of flesh smacking flesh was acompanied with a soft clanging on the ground. Naofumi had punched out one mollar tooth out of the captain. "Shadow, switch with me. Do whatever is necessary, I'll focus on healing!"

The hooded girl didn't say anything, simply taking the place of her master. This kind of work was right up her alley (pun included). She quickly took off the armor protecting the torso of the captain, her wires making short work of the chainmail and underclothes protecting the abdomen. She snapped three kicks focused on the ribs, the blows immediately bruising and taking air away from the man, who hacked and coughed incessantly, trying to fill his lungs of the forcefully expelled air they needed to work in order to live.

No mercy came as green light surrounded him, making the purple bruising dissapear in seconds, only for Shadow to snap in another sequence of kicks, all focused into one spot.

***CRACK***

The knight captain fell face first into the ground, painfully wheezing as the sound of his ribs cracking was heard by all present here.

The temperature rose rather quickly around him, and the man found new strenght to scream louder as a black flame burned at the other side. The burn was excruciating, but the feeling that followed was worse. A pain that hurt nowhere and at the same time everywhere. The kind of thing that could gnawl at your very mind and soul.

He had little time to dwell in his tortuous pain, more was soon added on top. Naofumi's boot made contact with the burn, the kick lifting the man from the ground for a few seconds. His sides flared in pain as kicks rained in from both Naofumi and Shadow, the hero's hurting more due to hitting a burnt, cursed area. The two kept their kicks for 30 seconds, after which Naofumi once more released more will-o-wisp sized flares of cursed fire. **[Self-Immolation Curse] **did the job, inflicting agonizing pain.

"D-d-demon..." The man muttered under wimpers of pain. Naofumi scoffed and let loose another kick into the cursed side of the man before he switched shields. **[Holy Shield] **equipped, Naofumi uttered the name of one of the skills this shield granted to him.

"**[Dispel Curse]**!" Soft light emanated from the white and cross-shaped shield, the burnt areas of the captain releasing a purple smog as the curse faded away. "**Fast Heal. **I'm losing my pacience here! Dera!" The Hydra slithered close to her master. "Get some poison ready."

The hero kicked the captain down with a kick to the side of his head. He then grabbed one foot of the still knight and began to slowly turn it aside until the man began to feel pain. "Listen, I'll give you the chance to speak now. As soon as I break your ankle, my Hydra will pour her strongest poison directly into your wound. Not even my healing will fix it in time." Naofumi bluffed. Everytime Dera developed some new concoction, he fed it to his shield; which while didn't unlock new shields, improved the shields he had unlocked due to her. He had anti-venom alright. It didn't meant that he was going to share with this bastard.

"I-I will tell you..." As the weak words left the knigth's mouth, Naofumi released the man's ankle.

"Shadow." The girl was already on it, getting any useful intel from the knight.

While the girl was busy with that, Naofumi turned to the other bound knights. Raphtalia entered his sight, eyes pleading and asking if he hadn't had enough of this. No. Not yet, anyways. These bastards would pay.

"**[Wrath Shield II]**!" His armor shifted and transformed, scaring the knights, whom only saw a demon marching towards them. A demon with a demonic shield of cursed flames.

...

...

...

**[Shield Devil] Series unlocked.**

**[Curse Series (Sin of Wrath)] updated.**

**[End Bringer] Series has been created.**

**[D&W*# L0rd Shield] Series unlocked.**

**[Shield Demon (Demon of the Shield) unlocked] [Knight Shield unlocked] [Brute Shield unlocked] [Punisher Shield unlocked] [Vision Crystal Shield unlocked] [Perpetrator Shield unlocked] [Spy Master Shield unlocked]**

**+Special conditions and requirements have been met successfully. Synchronizing monster...**

**-Error! Class up required for named monster evolution. Named monster [Dera] is influenced under [Iwatani Naofumi Shield Hero] and is mutating. [Hydra] is waiting class up to become [*****].**

* * *

_**Unknown Location.**_

Fitoria looked up towards the sky. Her eyes narrowed as something in the world's order changed. One of the Heroes had seemingly choosen which path he had decided for the fate of this world.

The dilemma was one that many had had to face. Many heroes chose to save the people.

She had choosen to save the world.

Fitoria continued staring at the stars of the sky, the hobby something she had picked up from her master. His name a phantom on her memory.

_Why is this so difficult?_

The philorial Queen continued staring at the sky.

* * *

Naofumi's armor returned to its normal form as he walked away from the mess in the alley. Leaning on the wall of one of the buildings, about 15 knights were there. Strangely enough, none were dead, neither missing limbs. The thing that seemed to have left these man, however, was their souls. If one were to stare at the group's eyes, they would find glazed, unfocused glances that would barely acknowledge human presence.

While these knights were alive, death would have been a much better option. Yet, the man dared not try to take action. Their minds brought to the brink of the abyss due to the many tortures they had to go throught. Their knight captain had failed, but they'd prevail against the devious Shield Hero. Sour mistake.

Naofumi dug into every technique his mind could imagine, some extra details popping out on his mind as per bonus of one of his unlocked shields. Shadow also had a vast array of methods, which she spared none against these fiends who dared to blame her master for their machinations. She knew the Church of Three Heroes was losing their steam, the many failures of the recent heroes, added with her master's actions, was a cold wind on the fires of their fanatic devoltion. For them to result to such madness against Master Naofumi, the assassin/spy would never allow such things to go unpunished.

Daggers digging under fingernails.

Cutting off ears and reattaching them with healing magic.

Smashing fingers into bloody pulps, fixing them and healing them, only to repeat the process with gruesome calm and precision.

Cursed fire heating armor until it started to make the undercloth stick to skin.

Poisoning them and letting it run through their veins until the very last second, then detoxifying then and feeding highly nutricious potions to then repeat the poisoning.

Powerful kicks caving in armor, making breathing a nightmare.

Putting hemp sacks over their heads and drenching it in water.

Shadow's master looked like a dashing dark knight as his cursed flames followed his will. It seemed he had gotten a better control over his fire.

The bruenette once feared that the more "obscure" part of her job as a assassin would scare off her master. It warmed her chest that he knew about such things and, yet kept her by his side. If she hadn't done already, Shadow would vow herself to him this instant.

Raphtalia felt sick to her stomach at the brutal display of savagery that Naofumi-sama had displayed. He held nothing back as he gave his form of retribution over the knights, not sparing one in his path of bloodlust and rage. Even as her stomach twisted and turned, Raphtalia continued looking at the scene. It was her job as her lord's sword, she would cut down the enemies that dared threaten him. Such had been the promise she made for him on the city plaza while it was only the two of them. The party had grown considerably in such a short while, but Raphtalia was happy that there were more people to help support her lord.

Even with his crass and harsh mouth, his hardened eyes and dark armor. Even then, to Raphtalia, Naofumi was a bastion of strenght. He was kind when necessary, harsh when necessary. Although the raccoon girl hoped for a future when her lord wouldn't scowl or be this brutal, she accepted it. She accepted him, for he was her savior.

Felicia looked at the scene with lazy eyes. The blood spilled on the ground seemed to not bother the witch, who busied herself taking notes of the Shield Hero's methodical use of healing magic. The man, who was supposedly the weakest among the four heroes, displayed something much too different from the nonsense gossip that run on the streets of Melromark. His defensive magic was what you would expect from someone called Shield Hero, but the dark flames also intrigued the Witch. How had he acquired such curse? It seemed to respond to his fury, so there was one clue.

The witch lightly smiled, releasing a puff of smoke. There would be much worth in staying with the man known as Iwatani Naofumi. Felicia Zauberer, the _**Spacial Rend Witch**_ could feel it. Ever so different threads of mana gathered at the man's shield, some coming from the world around, others coming from inside the hero. The more ominous ones in particular.

Felicia exhaled another puff of smoke. It was worth leaving the library.

Melty had not caught a glimpse of the scenes, yet she couldn't help the tears running down her face. The wet sounds were sickening. The shouts of the men seemed to repeat on her mind countless times. She tried to make the hero stop, she begged for him to do so. Yet he disreguarded her, continuing in his fury. A tiny part of her mind marked it as righteous fury. A bigger part of her screamed that his actions were madness. How could a hero be like this? Why was Shield Hero Naofumi so...dark? The princess searched her mind for any possible answer, but she came short.

His harsh words rang on her mind.

Melty's mind only caught up when she was finally put down by an apologizing Firo-chan, who turned into her human form to give the princess a farewell hug. It was a quick affair, seeing as the hero barked at the blonde for socializing with the royal princess.

"W-w-where a-are you going?" Melty managed to ask the retreating hero.

He turned back and focused his eyes on her. The retribution he seeked was no longer in his gaze, his eyes returning to their passive green tone on the sharp look of the hero. "I got what I wanted, so I'm getting out of this shit country. I suggest you do the same. The church won't stop until either they kill me or I kill them; whichever happens first. Whoever gets caught up in the crossfire will be _"martyrs"_ for the cause." Naofumi said. He was about to leave, but a rather familiar tug on his cloak held him in place. He groaned and turned his head to look the source, finding Raphtalia giving him the puppy eyes. Raccoon eyes? Either way, she was efficient in making him give second chances.

He looked back at Melty. The blue-clad princess sure was mentally strong, to be able to listen to all what happened and still maintain most of her composure, he had to admit that she was no ordinary kid. Then again, she was Malty's sister. He huffed. He would probably regret this, but he gave in to Raphtalia's silent request.

"You can come with us if you want. Not like you have many options, but you are free to choose." Naofumi declared, waiting for an answer from the princess.

Melty bit the her lower lip and seemed to be in deep thought. Naofumi wished for her to hurry up, considering he had go quickly get away from this place.

"W-where are you going from here?" She asked.

"Siltvelt." His answer made the girl crease her brow, but he ignored her reaction. "From what I have gathered, the country is full of demi-humans and worships the shield." The hero glanced at his weapon. "I was hoping to avoid the religious bullshit, but if I can't escape from it, it's better to ally myself with people who are on my side. Worse case scenario, I can flee again." His words made sense for the Second Princess, even if she wanted to refute them.

"T-they enslave humans there!" Naofumi scoffed. He was somewhat impressed by her drive in trying to make him stay sided with Melromark. A failed attempt at diplomacy, but an admirable attempt.

"You enslave demi-humans here, they enslave humans there, what's the difference? It's not like the chains or the slave crest cares about who thy are placed on. Don't be hypocritical now Second Princess, you are starting to lose me here." Naofumi said in a disaproving tone, making the princess lower her head. "Let's go to my wagon."

The group exited the alley in silence. They made their way towards Naofumi's wagon, but as the group turned the corner, Naofumi made everyone retreat back. The hero leaned, taking a peek over the corner, finding a great deal of soldiers surrounding his wagon. He tightened his hand in anger. He felt someone touch his shoulder, Shadow's masked face leaning close to whisper something in his ear.

"Master, this one recommends a most urgent retreat. This one has neutralized a great deal of enemy shadows on the rooftops with the held of Dera-dono, but more are bound to come. The forest is currently the safest path for us to take." The hooded assassin seemed somewhat out of breath and her gloves were stained with fresh blood, some still dripping from the lenghts of Metal Wire Thread on her hands.

"The church is sending shadow units in large scale to track our movemments, master. They are specialized in stealth and spy work, but the queen's forces are currently also trying to neutralize them." Shadow completed her sentence by showing Naofumi some blood-stained masks. The masks were decorated with a simbol of the church, the three offensive weapons of the heroes.

"Fucking hell. It's almost like it's a fucking civil war. Let's get out of here before they spot us."

* * *

"**Lightning arrow!**"

"**Air Strike Shield!"**

A rain of electricity flew towards Naofumi, the lead of his party, from the forest. The Shield used one of his skills, letting the attack splash uselessly against his defensive magic as his group got ready for another fight. They had been having some small scale skirmishes against the shadows from the church, just like Shadow had informed him.

The assassin girl was constantly moving about, trying to intercept and kill off any other enemy shadow she found, but with only her and Dera ambushing the enemies, their location was bound to be spotted. It was merely a matter of time. The church had really planned his demise, Naofumi thought, as they easily mobilized soldiers to try and force him into certain paths, where he would be easily found.

He had managed to escape using his **[Cartographer's Shield]** and his **[World Map]** skill, but they were found out earlier than what he hoped for.

All the three heroes and their parties were there, their eyes gleaming in anticipation. Itsuki lowered his bow, a serious frown in his face.

"Release Princess Melty, Naofumi!"

_Well, isn't this a doozy?! _The Shielder sarcastically laughed in his head, hands moving stealthly to give orders to his party. The newest members, Felicia and Melty, were not up to par in his tactics so they didn't know to pay attention to his hands, and thus did not get his commands. He would have to make due with what he had.

Dera took advantage of her natural scales and easily blended in with the enviroment, setting an ambush without being detected.

Shadow slowly moved behind his back, taking advantage of the fact that all were focused on her master's frame. Thee whirling sound of her equipment dispersing Metal Thread Wire was silenced by the sounds of armor shifting as the heroes' parties tried to fan out to surround Naofumi's party.

Raphtalia was quick to draw her weapon and stand beside the Shielder, her stance ready to lash out and strike whoever tried getting closer.

Firo _menacingly_ pouted at the group, her _angry_ eyes focused specially in Motoyasu and the creepy face he was making, hands obscenely wrigling in her direction.

Felicia lazily grabbed her hat, took her smoking pipe and lit it, taking a long puff of it, slowly and calmly kneading some magic into it.

Melty was the slowest of the group, standing somewhat behind Naofumi's frame as he stared down at the heroes and their parties.

"Not a very nice way to greet someone you haven't met in a while, Itsuki!" Naofumi exclaimed, shifting his stance to a wider, more battle focused stance.

* * *

**AUTHOR NOTES.**

**Well, wasn't that a nice chapter?**

**Extra bits:**

**-Felicia is inspired in the mage character in Kuro No Maou(Fiona from The Black Demon King), but instead of glutonny and lust, she is more like Shikamaru, laziness incarnate, unless magic research is involved. I'll flesh her out more in the following chapters.**

**-Her family name,_ Zauberer_, is a simple translation. It just means _"Sorcerer"_ in German, or so I hope. I noticed that the novel borrows some names from German, such as Blutfer (Blood Sacrifice), Erst Shield (Air strike/First) and others, so I followed the trend.**

**-Some are afraid that Raphtalia is having her place taken over by Shadow. That's not what's happening. Since you know (or so I hope) who and what Raphtalia does for Naofumi, I reckoned that I could focus on developing the other characters, since you know our favorite Raccoon girl. To be honest, every girl is special in their own rights, so it's not so simple as to say one is taking the place of the other. Each girl has their strenghts and weaknesses, and each will take a place inside Naofumi's (currently locked) heart.**

**-Get ready for some brutal and dark happenings, [Shield Demon]-arc is upon us, boys!**

**Get Hype!**

**+Ending theme for the chapter: "VORACITY" by MYTH and ROID. (Overlord's third opening).**


	12. The Truth is Told to the Naive Princess

**AU NOTES.**

**Hello everyone, Ryujin here. I have some ideas cooking up so look forward to it.**

**On other news.**

**Gentlemen, do thee know of such magnificent game named [Harem Hotel]? No? Yes?**

**Free advertisement for it, I swear I'm not being paid to speak about it. I downloaded the game recently and...well.. let's say that it truly is a gentleman's game.**

**Enough with my blabbering, let's get into the chapter. Very sorry about the extreme delay in posting chapters, however I was going through some drought in terms of creative thinking for another chapter.**

**Well, better late than never, right?!**

* * *

"Naofumi! Release the princess! Justice is ours!" Motoyasu, in his ever so pompous mood, shouted at the Shielder, pointing his right finger at him. The Shield Hero creased his brows, slightly craning his neck to the side. He was hoping to not have to deal with these morons, but luck was not on his side today.

"Are you sure you are allowed to spout bullshit like that? Last time you exclaimed justice, you almost fed an entire village to a plant-type monster and also almost out taxed everyone in Ryute Village!" Naofumi's words made the Spear Hero flinch. It was quick, seeing as he composed himself and waved it off. "I have no idea of what you are talking about!" Fucking bullshit, you don't!

Itsuki lifted his bow once more and drew the string, one arrow firmly nocked. "Naofumi! I won't repeat myself! Release the princess this instant!" The Bow Hero shouted; his expression settled in a serious face. The Shielder scoffed at the young boy.

"Does it look like I'm keeping her as a prisonn–..." Naofumi's sentence was cut-off as Ren advanced together with Itsuki, both slowly making their way to the front of their parties. They cut off Naofumi as they spotted the blue dressed princess, smiles already blooming on their lips as they assumed that Melty would run at them as if fleeing from a monster.

"Princess!" Ren lightly exclaimed.

"Second princess! How wonderful it is that you are safe!"

Their catering failed, however, seeing as Melty never left his side. The girl took a few steps, only enough to be in front of the Shield Hero and loudly called the two out.

"Heroes! By who's authority do you attack Shield Hero Naofumi?! What is this nonsense about releasing me when I have never been locked up against my will?! Bow Hero, your attack against Naofumi was the only direct form of attack I was put under these following hours! The Shield Hero has done nothing, but save my life so far!" The words made all the present, except Naofumi's party, to take on serious expressions.

Something was wrong here. The princess looked healthy and safe. There were no chains or binding on her person. Was the information they had received fake somehow?

Ren was the first to wonder this as he lowered his sword. He was still in an attacking position, but he eased his stance.

"Alright then, it seems that something is not right here. You lot, lower your weapons." Ren told his group, sheathing his blade on his hip. His party was somewhat confused with his command, but seeing the Sword Hero sheathe his weapon made them follow his orders.

"Oi, Ren! You can't be serious now!? It's Naofumi we are talking about here!" Motoyasu complained to his fellow hero, still holding his spear high against the Shielder.

Ren shook his head sideways, his face displaying that the hero had many ideas running in his head. "It doesn't make sense for Naofumi to do something so foolish. He gains nothing from this supposed kidnapping; the entire kingdom of Melromark would be hunting him down like a dog. Why would he kidnap a princess when he knows this?" Ren stated out loud, making Naofumi release a somewhat relieved sigh.

Itsuki followed suit, lowering his bow, but still maintaining full attention towards Naofumi.

"Come on, guys! You can't be really falling for this!?" Motoyasu complained, his attention focused his fellow heroes.

Naofumi took the time to observe his surroundings and hand-sign instructions to his team. A fight here would be troublesome for them, the possibility of stray attacks hitting one of the girls larger than what the hero deemed acceptable. He glanced to his group. Raphtalia looked ready for any action he chose, Shadow also was slowly drawing more and more of her Metal Thread Wire, no doubt preparing a trap to help them escape. Firo did her best menacing frown, the action looking more like angry pouting. Dera was hidden among the tree tops, positioning herself at the best spot for an ambush, while Felicia seemed content merely observing the foolish actions of the heroes.

"It is the reality of the situation, Kitamura-sama. I believe that all of this has to be some sort of conspiracy against Naofumi-sama. I kindly ask that you lower your weapon and–..." Before Melty could speak anything else, Malty appeared in front of the group.

"Poor Melty. How much must you be suffering, having to say those accursed words against your free will due to this brainwashing villain." The redhead finished her statement by wiping a false tear from the corner of her eye. She then turned to face the other heroes and spoke to the them as if teaching common sense. "Heroes, do not forget about the information that the church has shared with us. That villain is using his shield to brainwash the kingdom's subjects; there would be no way for the common folk to be defending him if that were not the case!"

Raphtalia shouted over, her sword being pointed at the First Princess. "How ridiculous! Naofumi-sama would never have such power!"

Felicia, on the rear, tilted her head aside and pondered by herself the benefits of having such a magic shield.

Thankfully, Naofumi's current train of thoughts followed Raphtalia's. _This fucking bitch! As if I could have such a convenient power! What do you think I am? Some generic Isekai protagonist?_ The hero made sure that his distance from Melty was enough that he could rush to her aid without seeming suspicious before he spoke. "That seems to be a rather convenient ability, huh? I wonder why I would not use that to make life ten times easier? Oh, that's right! Because such fucking bullshit doesn't fucking exists, you idiots! Besides, if I had such a convenient ability, wouldn't you three also same something similar?" Naofumi could see Ren milling over the arguments. Itsuki also seemed to be doing his share of pondering.

"Don't let yourselves be fooled, noble heroes! He has been disguising himself as a merchant and using his vile power to desecrate our lands and dirty the minds of the people." Malty smugly declared, crossing her arms and looking over at Naofumi as if she was somehow superior to him. The look almost made the hero call for an attack from Shadow, yet he managed to calm the simmering anger that was boiling over the pit of his stomach.

Naofumi once more eyed the many people surrounding his party. He was sure that even with their higher levels, he and his group could surpass them in terms of raw skill. The Shield and his companions had diligently been training their abilities and skills, never relying on the false sense of strength that the status screen showed. If you confused the things and mistook this reality for a game, sooner or later you'd found on some ditch, dead. The Shielder clenched his hands tightly. "If you idiots can guarantee that you can protect the Second Princess, I'll gladly give her to you!"

Melty looked back at him in surprise, yet Naofumi continued focused on Ren and Itsuki. The two had been pains in his ass, but they were the two who Naofumi was somewhat confident would not be so easily manipulated. Then again, the two were siding with Motoyasu and Bitch, and stupidity seemed to be contagious in this world. For now, the Shield Bearer waited for the Sword and Bow to reach the conclusion of their silent conversation,

The duo spent some time merely staring at each other and communicating through stares and eyebrow moves. Their respective parties waited on their leaders, the mood being one of nervousness. Any unnecessary shift or sudden move would break the stalemate. After a few tense minutes, the Sword and Bow hero both nodded to one another and Ren spoke.

"Alright, Naofumi. We take your deal. But you will have to come with us to verify everything. Come, Second Princess, we shall escort you safely to the capital." Ren spoke, extending one hand to the girl dressed in blue.

Melty's vision shook at the sight, her eyes watering. She lowered her head, trying to pull back the tears. As she looked back up, she saw something that made the dam break and Melty finally acted her age.

There was Malty. The redhead was extending one of her hands towards the girl, the other close to her chest so as to display the usual fake set of emotions. "Come, Melty. Your safety is my priority, follow the heroes!"

* * *

Naofumi himself was sick to his stomach, seeing the bitch pretend to be worried about family. He would never fall for the disgusting act, neither the poisonous words laced with fake honey. The Shield looked at the girl in front of him then noticed that she had seemingly lost all her resolution, lowering her head and trying to hide the trembling of her hands from sight by holding them close to her dress.

_"I'm going to be killed..._" Her voice was a mere whisper.

The Shield Hero could be rough and sarcastic, but seeing the girl on such a state brought him unpleasant memories. The time when he was recently summoned to this world, given a fake hope and a most brutal wake-up call. Humiliated and brought down to his lowest point. All that Naofumi could see right now was a child being betrayed the same way he was, except she did not have the same rage and wrath as he did. If she were to be left alone, she surely would be killed. Royalties back on Earth had killed family members for less excusable reasons, being heir to the throne of Melromark Matriarchy seemed as good as any reason.

The Shield Hero released a loud sigh, calling all attention to himself. "I really am a dumbass. Thinking for even a second I could trust you idiots!" His statement brought confusion to the other heroes and their parties. "If you want a job well done, you better leave it to a professional or do it yourself."

"Naofumi! What do you mean?!" Ren shouted, hand hovering closer to his weapon.

"Naofumi-kun, are we that unworthy of trust to you? You know that you are about to commit a grave error, right?" Itsuki spoke in his usual soft tone, a degree of edge becoming apparent in his voice.

"Yeah, right!" The Shielder shouted, bringing his hand up and signaling to Dera. The loud hiss of the hydra made all present began searching for the source of the noise, but all that they got was a face-full of noxious purple gas, the plumes being expelled by all four heads of the enormous serpent. Dera quickly slithered her way towards Naofumi and his group, taking the chance to smack away as many people as she could with her tail.

"I knew you were up to no-good, Naofumi!" Motoyasu shouted, using her spear to block a glancing blow and a hail of knives thrown his way. The Spear Hero began spinning his spear over his head, the circular motion resembling a fan. "**Turbulent Thrust!**" Another shout and Motoyasu used a skill to almost instantly get rid of the poisonous smog.

As the purple cloud of gas dispersed, the heroes once more spotted Naofumi. The Shield Hero was riding Firo, the entirety of his party also on the Filorial Queen Candidate.

"You really think that you can escape from us?" Malty was the one to ask the question, her smug face and tone showing that she was unbothered by the all the poison that had engulfed the group._ Poison-resistant gear? Maybe some sort of skill or magic._

Naofumi clicked his teeth in annoyance. He glanced and Shadow, the rouge/assassin nodding to his silent question.

"I'd love to stay and discuss how retarded you all are, but I can't really waste my time like that. Gotta a country to flee from, you know!" The hero laid it thick with his sarcasm. He turned to ride. "Firo, get us the fuck out of here right now!"

"Yes, master!" The big bird happily chirped her response, even in spite of the dire situation. She turned around and began rushing to flee.

"As if I'd ever let you do that!" Motoyasu was the first to jump into action, chains hanging from his off-hand. Naofumi looked at the chain with suspicion filling his mind, his instincts telling him that the metal work was dangerous. His suspicion was confirmed when the blonde hero threw the chains towards then, the locking mechanism flying with overwhelming precision until it locked around Firo's legs.

For a few seconds nothing happened and it made the Shield wonder if the magic item had failed. However, Firo's bird form was suddenly dispelled as she forcefully returned to her human-child form. That meant that the entire group on her back was thrown off.

Naofumi extended his hand and managed to grab Melty in the air, landing on the ground with surprisingly little trouble for someone who looked rather bulky. Probably the effects of the **[Spy Master Shield]**. In any way, the hero managed a smooth landing, Melty less so as she was still under his arms, resembling more holding bag or rucksack than a proper princess.

Raphtalia and Shadow were naturally nimble fingers, the Tanker having no reason to worry about their state. He still glanced their way to check on their well-being, momentary relief washing over him as he confirmed they were indeed fine. Even more so as he found Felicia over on Shadow's shoulders. The sight of her well-dressed butt might have gathered more attention from the hero, were they not in their current situation.

Dera seemed well enough too, although she was stunned from the sudden stop, having collided with a tree.

The Shield Hero searched around for Firo, his eyes catching the moment Motoyasu jumped to embrace the blonde loli. Overwhelming wrath filled his insides and for one moment Naofumi could swear his **[Shield of Wrath II (Wrath Shield II)]** had become active, but before Motoyasu could truly touch Firo, he was suddenly jerked back midair, falling on the ground a few paces away from the blonde.

"Motoyasu-sama!" Bitch's grating voice expressed her supposed worried state for the hero. Naofumi personally almost burst out laughing at the sight of Motoyasu being literally being clotheslined. Shadow had thrown out two knives with a line of Metal Thread Wire tied in between the weapons, the action saving Firo from being molested by the blond idiot.

Still, the Shielder was worried for her. A quick glance at her Status Screen showed that her power was currently being suppressed by a magical tool, most likely the chain wrapped around on her feet. Motoyasu rose from the ground and wiped his clothes, trying to maintain the cool-air he never had.

"Firo-chan! Don't try to take that off. I had the alchemists of the palace craft that to keep you from turning into that horrible bird form. That way, you can't use that scary strength of yours!" Naofumi had shivers run down his spine at the disgusting tone that Motoyasu used. His disgust turned into anger as the Spear Hero once more tried to approach Firo. "Don't be mean to me, Firo-chan! Keep looking like an angel foverer! I love your moe!"

Even when the two other heroes were currently against Naofumi, they certainly were not going to approach Kitamura anytime soon. It wasn't a surprise that the Spear Hero was found of the female body, but the creepy way he went about it made the vision that the Sword and Bow had of the Spear take a dive down.

* * *

Naofumi was about to take action against the fool, his anger being sparked rather continuously. His efforts, however, had to be put into holding Melty down. The Second Princess' small stature helped her squirm out of his grasp before he could hold her again.

Freed from the Shielder, Melty rose her hands and aimed them at the Spear Hero. "Motoyasu-sama! Release Firo-chan right now!" Her shout made the hero turn his attention to her, even as he still inched his way towards Firo.

Laughing in his usual confident way, Motoyasu spoke. "Feisty, huh? I love myself a dominant woman! You just have to join us, Second Princess!" The Spear Hero used his winner smile, confident that Melty would immediately swoon and become his. All the girls did it, the mere line of_ I'm the Spear Hero Kitamura Motoyasu and I'm going to save the world _was enough to score him any date with any girl he wanted.

Pity that his efforts resulted on the contrary, the child princess becoming even more distressed.

_"I command thee, oh law of nature, to gather around my palm and become the blade that cuts down my enemies. **Zweite Aqua Slash!**"_ Magic shone around Melty's frame, water accumulating around her hands and being compressed, before shooting towards Motoyasu. The water blade curved slightly upwards, missing the hero by a few inches. It might have been magic cast by a child, but the tree that was cleanly cut in the middle proved that it packed enough power to be lethal.

All those present were shocked at the capabilities of the Second Princess. So young and already being able to cast second-tier magic, even when most adventurers never managed to get past the first stage, it showed the talent and skill that the royal line of Melromark had.

"W-wait a bit, Second P-princess!" Motoyasu's speech came out in stutters as the hero could picture in his mind what would happen should he be hit by such an attack.

Melty cared not to wait, already readying a second attack. "I said: release Firo-chan already!" The girl shouted, her eyes closing for a moment.

"_**ZWEITE HELLFIRE!**_" The temperature around the forest immediately increased as an enormous fireball was making its way towards Melty, the flames surely being capable of reducing her into ash. Melty's eyes widened open as she stared at the swirling inferno of orange fire coming to take her life. The girl could not take her eyes away from her incoming death, even as her skin became wet with sweat and her body screamed for her to get away from it.

Her earlier statement came back to haunt her with full force.

_"I'm going to die..."_

""Second Princess, watch out!"" both Ren and Itsuki shouted their worried warning, surprise clearly painted on their faces and they watched the fire that was sure to erase Melty from existence in a painful way. How could someone target the Second Princess right under their noses.

"_Law of Space and Time, bend thy knee. This witch has read, recognized and understood your principles and now she commands your obedience. Protect my target from harm and maintain its state as it is.** All Dritte Fall, Dimensional Shift!**_" Felicia's magically enhanced words echoed as she closed her eyes in concentration, magic shining powerfully from the smoking pipe she had on her plush lips.

Melty felt magic wash over her entire frame, something much too powerful for her to resist or interfere with. Not that she had any intention of it in the first place, anything that she had would be too short even to assist magic cast by the _**Spacial Rend Witch.**_ Time and space seemed to stop around Melty, the illusion of blanket made out of the cosmos wrapped itself over her as the laws of physics were bent to protect her from the incoming fire.

Not that the princess was paying attention to the protective layer of magic. Her eyes were glued on the back of the one that was standing right before her, shield tanking the magical flames and preventing them from ever reaching her. With nary a thought, Naofumi swiped his shield and extinguished the flames, his dark smile enough to send shivers down the spines of those looking at him.

Considering that all eyes were focused on the flaming attack, Naofumi was in eyesight of everyone present there.

"Finally acting the part, aren't you?" His statement brought everyone out of their funk. Many complaints and shouts were directed at Malty, whose face was colored in barely concealed anger. "Isn't this the time that you reveal your big plans to kill the princess and claim the throne to yourself? Or you left that part out when you explained your shitty plans to these fucking idiots?"

Ren immediately drew his sword out, the sound of the metal spurring his party to do the same. "That attack was overly aggressive, Malty-san! Did you truly intent to kill your sister?" The Sword Hero asked, the edge in his voice not leaving space for falseness.

Itsuki also drew his bowstring, but he kept his weapon lowered. "Let all of us calm ourselves down. Naofumi! What do you mean?!"

Malty immediately shouted. "Do not let the lies that the Shield spouts affect your judgement! He clearly manipulated my sister into attacking Motoyasu-sama! I couldn't let such thing happen without responding!"

Ren narrowed his brows, his sword humming as magic filled it ready for a skill. "No matter! Such a response..." The Sword lowered his tone and cast his eyes down. _What the hell is going on? Was Naofumi telling the truth?_

"What? Weren't you aware? The country is a matriarchy, and the queen has chosen the Second Princess here to be the heir to the throne. I believe that I don't need to spell out the rest for you, do I?" The statement from the hero made the others stop in thought. If the Shield was speaking the truth, the entire situation was much more complicated than it seemed at first.

"Scum that only knows how to lie! Heroes, listen do not listen to his nonsense. Our knights surely heard our little spar and are on their way here. Soon, all this will be solved." Malty declared with confidence on her voice, making the hero scowl hard at her.

_That bitch is too sure that things will float her way. Even when she has backing from that shit-king, this type of confidence is too much_. Naofumi thought to himself, discreetly looking at Shadow. The rogue quickly used sign-language to convey her message.

_Master, the church's shadows are approaching us fast. We must flee immediately!_

The hero furrowed his brows, his mind working in overdrive to design a plan that would aid their escape. He hated to admit, but the other heroes had power-leveled pretty hard, considering that his **[Appraisal]** skill displayed that everyone here was high level. Ranging from the lowest Lv71 to the highest being Ren, the Sword Hero stacking an overwhelming Lv85, while Naofumi and his party had been forced to stay level capped at lv40.

"If my dear sister will be manipulated by this devil, then I prefer that..." Malty spoke to the heroes, but that was all the confirmation that the Shield Hero needed. Naofumi glanced back at his party one more time, the girls understanding what he was about to do. He grabbed Melty's shoulder and made the girl stay behind him.

The other heroes and their groups became alert as to the actions the Shield Hero would take. Tension began growing as Naofumi put his right hand over the gem of his shield, the words that left his mouth making the groups tense up and worry.

"**[Shield of Wrath II (Wrath Shield II)]!**" Naofumi shouted, his armor shifting and becoming rugged. Black cursed flames sprouted around him, the hero gaining a dark and ominous expression as his magic seemed to taint even the air around him. Black greaves stepped forward and made the other parties back a few steps away from the cursed flames. "Come on, weren't you the ones that wanted to rescue the princess?! Wasn't I the villain? Bring it on, retards!"

"NAOFUMI! Are you crazy?!" Ren shouted, his sword ready to strike.

The Shielder would respond were he not so busy trying to stay sane. The moment his Wrath Shield was summoned and the Hero set his sight on the Sword Hero, a profound hatred nested inside Naofumi. Not fleeting anger, but overwhelming rage. It was impressive that the entirety of the clearing wasn't consumed by his cursed flames.

_**SWORD BASTARD!**_

_** PAY! REPENT WITH YOUR LIFE! **_

_**SACRIFICE! DEMMAND SACRIFICE!**_

_** LIFE! GIVE!**_

Naofumi took a few more steps closer to the heroes, their parties hoping to avoid approaching the demonic looking Shielder. The crazy and deranged expression that Naofumi had wasn't helpinng his case, an evil smirk fixed on his lips as he held his shield with both hands and pointed it at the group.

"What is wrong? Are the Heroes' companions just a bunch of cowards that are all talk? have expected that." Naofumi's words were laced with sarcasm, taunting all. Ren grit his teeth, the situation long running out of his control, unlike what he expected at first.

His companions got rather angry at the remark from the Shielder, their wish to prove themselves to the hero getting the best of them. It seemed that Itsuki also had the same problem as his followers drew their weapons and together, the two groups rushed to attack the Shield Hero.

"No! You can't attack him close-quarters!" Ren tried to warn everyone, but his words fell on deaf ears. Naofumi seemed to be having a blast, fixed stance ready to take in the attacks.

**CLANG!**

Many swords, staffs and daggers were repelled, the attackers immediately regretting their decision as they were engulfed in cursed flames. Counterattack hit like a mini-explosion, **[Self-immolation Curse]** doing a fantastic job of punishing all who dared approach the Shielder.

_Great, that will hold them still for a while,_ Naofumi pondered to himself, ordering the cursed flames to burn the ground around him. The pursuers would have to go around or find another way to follow him, which would allow him more time to plan out. As things stood, Naofumi was mostly reacting to the situation unfolding around him; it was time the hero did things on his terms.

Before he and his party could retreat, the hero heard something approaching him. Quickly ducking under his shield, Naofumi felt an impact hit his shield before an arrow fell uselessly on the ground close to his feet. He glanced at the direction that the arrow came from, spotting a great deal of Melromark knights approaching the clearing, arrows knotted on the bowstrings and ready to fire once more.

"There is the Demon Shield!"

"Protect Princess Malty!"

"Kill the Demon"

"Honor the kingdom!"

Ren tried intervening, to tell the order to stand down and allow the heroes to settle the discord, yet the men seemed hell bent on furiously attacking Naofumi. A salvo of arrows was sent once more against the hero and his companions without any regard for the safety of the Second Princess. Ren had wide eyes as the arrows flew towards the Shield Hero's group.

Naofumi held Melty close to himself, raising his shield high as a makeshift umbrella. Raphtalia and Shadow were masterfully using their weapons to deflect any projectile that risked approaching them. Felicia lazily blew out more smoke from her pipe, the arrows straying off-course as soon as they got close to her. Firo and Dera hid behind the cover of nearby trees.

"How secure must the princess be feeling, huh, Ren?" Naofumi spat out, his eyes full of an intense flame of hatred. Melty had been hugging his leg, her lips quivering at the sight of the ground littered with arrows. Arrows meant to pierce her flesh and end her life.

The Sword Hero was stunned in silence.

"I'll end this right now! Naofumi, prepare yourself!" Motoyasu declared, preparing another charge. Raphtalia quickly approached Naofumi and touched Melty's shoulder.

"Melty-san, back away from the fight. We are about to escape." The raccoon girl whispered to the blue-dressed princess, bringing her away from the fight.

"Come, you fucking prick! About time I gave you what you deserve too!" Naofumi declared. The women close to the Spear Hero began casting many supporting spells on the blond hero.

"Motoyasu, stop! There is something wrong happening here!" Ren woke from his stupor, calling out the hero. "Itsuki, say something too." The attempts at calling the Bow Hero failed, the younger hero also had his face frozen in deep thought at the current situation.

Before the other two heroes could say or do anything else, Motoyasu sprang into action.

"I'll free the princess and Firo-chan from your evil clutches, Naofumi!" The declaration was followed by the charging point of his weapon being ingulfed in vermillion flames, Malty being the last one to cast the offensive buff on the holy weapon. "**[Combo Skill: Crimson Crash]!** You are done, Naofumi!"

The Shield Hero dug his heels deeper on the ground, preparing himself to be on the receiving end of the flaming charge. _Come then, you piece of shit! I'll end you!_ The ravenous idea lit a dark flame of joy inside Naofumi's heart, the hero gathering his strongest cursed flames and wreathing himself into it. He would meet Motoyasu's strongest attack head-on and when counterattack activated, the hero would practically defeat the Spear wielder with just the debuff from his curse. Then, as the others would be too stunned to react, Naofumi would try to flee once more. This was a half-assed idea at best, but the Shield was getting desperate.

The two weapons approached, encouragement from the knight order and his personal harem spurring Motoyasu to believe his victory was already decided. He continued his mad rush, his flaming weapon cutting a straight line on the ground as the tip of the spear finally met the shield, the surrounding temperature rising quickly and then smoke covered the vision of those staring at the battle, waiting the outcome.

The smoke settled soon enough and with it, the image of Naofumi's Shield was still visible, standing proud. Motoyasu's eyes almost jumped out of their sockets as the Spear Hero fixed eye contact with the Shield Hero.

Naofumi had a few soot marks on his face, yet he looked no worse for wear than at the beginning of the fight. He quickly checked his status, his HP bar having been only slightly shaved by the attack. Fixing eye-contact with the blond hero, Naofumi smirked.

"Click-click boom, bitch!" Naofumi exclaimed, sparks of cursed flame igniting as Motoyasu realized his mistake. He tried to back off, but an explosion of black fire did the job for him, pushing the hero away in cursed fire, as well as the arrows that were flying towards Naofumi.

The Shield Hero was feeling hatred, but also something warm at the sight of Motoyasu being pushed around like the idiot that he was. Seeing Ren being stunned into silence, the difference between the usual arrogant façade of the Sword Hero as a know-it-all and the current face being delightful to the Shielder; seeing the justice-freak Itsuki having a conflicted look on his pretty-boy face, seeing his idea of justice being challenged and the idea that he might be wrong. Oh, that brought dark glee to the shield hero.

"_I read thy laws of nature and deciphered your meaning! Bend, oh space, and allow me to move beyond the sight of my enemies.** All Dritte Fall, Dimensional Step**._" Felicia's words brought Naofumi out of his own stupor, the hero felling Metal Thread Wire wrapped around his right hand, currently protected by black gauntlets, and tugging him. Much like before, something akin to the starry night sky surrounded the Shield Hero and his party, this time instead it felt like they were being engulfed in darkness.

Naofumi glanced at Felicia and nodded to the witch in acknowledgement, silently thanking her. The witch lightly smiled, although her face looked pale and sweat ran on down it. The hero took the chance and gave one last look at the heroes and their parties. One last look at Ren, making the Sword Hero shiver on the spot.

"Use your head, Ren. Don't be manipulated." Those were the parting words that Naofumi left to Ren, as his frame literally shifted out of existence.

...

...

...

...

* * *

...

...

...

...

"How are you doing?" Naofumi checked the state of the Spacial Rend Witch, the woman seemingly too tired to even smoke out of her pipe.

"Could be better for sure. Dimensional Step is a mana-intensive magic, so I'm running empty for the time being." Felicia answered, leaning on Shadow as Raphtlia held Melty. The hero was sure that the girl was tired, having to teleport a party of seven would take a toll on anyone, even more so as the woman was using high-level magic with no assistance of high-grade magical tools, only her talent and her skills making the jump possible. "We've not gone that far, so I suggest you start moving again."

"Master, this one has found the presence of a nearby agent of the queen. Your orders?" Shadow asked, having no difficulty holding the slender body of the witch. Naofumi sighed, releasing some tension from his frame.

_Not even a moment of peace in this goddammed country_. The hero thought to himself, now sensing the presence of said agent himself. **[Spy Master Shield]** was quickly becoming one of Naofumi's favorites as the hero stared directly at the tree that the queen's shadow was hidden at.

"Out already, don't get me started." The hero stated, calling the attention of Melty and Raphtalia. A moment later, an old lady left the cover of the tree. The elder tried approaching, but the furrowed brows of the Shield Hero told the idea was not welcomed. "Drop the illusion already. You are starting to piss me off."

"Naofumi-sama, calm down, please." Raphtalia walked to his side and held his hand. The hero took a deep breath and willed his shield to change into its default state.

The old lady nodded gratefully to the racoon girl, but Raphtalia hardened her gaze. "What do you want?"

This time it was melty that took the initiative. "Shadow, you can drop the illusion. Shield Hero Naofumi is an ally."

The old lady dipped her head in a bow, the illusion over her dispelling to reveal an individual dressed almost exactly like Shadow, the only difference being the hair color and the weapons this one carried.

"Princess, your safety makes this one glad." The agent's tone made the statement difficult to believe, but Naofumi had plenty experience due to dealing with Shadow. "Shield Hero-dono, it is a pleasure to work with you."

"Master needs not your fake words or your useless pleasantries. State the purpose of your mission of this one shall make sure that you will never be deployed on the field again." Shadow, even in monotone, could convey that her words were not empty threats. Melty seemed surprised that the rogue/assassin even spoke, but the stress of the situation must be getting even to her, or so the princess wondered.

The agent became silent for a few moments, enough time that Naofumi needed to cough out loud to gather attention once more.

"Care to explain why is the princess running through all these dangers when she could be safe under your guard?" Naofumi was straight to the point, seeing no use in dancing around the issue.

"That cannot be answered by me." The agent spoke, making Shadow deliberately make sound when drawing her dagger from its sheath.

"Incompetence much?" Sarcasm was dripping from the words of the hero. "You do know that if it wasn't for me, she would have kicked the bucket, right?

"Yet, she is safe and sound. A most amazing job done by you, Shield Hero Naofumi-dono." The female agent's words made a small growl leave the hero, the noise making the hero's mood known to all. "Apologies. I have been given the mission to point you and Princess Melty towards the Queen Mirelia. Your cooperation is overly required, Shield Hero-dono; so much so that Queen Mirelia decide to trust you with the safety of her daughter in hopes that you will assist us in this mission."

Naofumi scoffed. "Yeah, right. More like she pushed her fucking daughter on my chest and asked me to play babysitter. I could not give two shits about you, this country or your fucking queen. It seems like you have been following us for a while, letting she get in danger needlessly." The hero pointed to Melty, the girl lowering her head and holding her dress. "Give me a good reason, a really good reason, so that I don't order Shadow to kill you."

"The Church of the Three Heroes has been losing much of its following, the recent failings of the Sword, Bow and Spear Heroes, as well as your good deeds, have been the deciding factor of this happening. With the church weakening in power and influence, they have decided to spread false rumors of your supposed brain-washing power to try and stop their decline. We have seen to the opportunity to uproot the hold on power that the church has over our country. Once more I ask, Shield Hero-dono, please assist our cause and help Queen Mirelia."

Naofumi listened to the agent and pondered to himself for a while. Help the country that screwed him or simply mind his business and fuck off. There wasn't really much to be weigh on the balance.

"Melty." He called the attention of the Second Princess, the girl raising her head to look at him. "You have your shadow here escort you back to your mom. I will kindly fuck off from your country, best regards and good luck on your endeavors." Naofumi said, his words stunning the duo. Raphtalia looked like she wanted to speak something, but Shadow touched her on the shoulder and shook her head sideways.

"W-wait a minute, Shield Hero! You can't be serious! You are telling me that you won't help us?" Melty's voice increased in pitch, the girl no doubt stressed out and on the verge of crying. Not that he cared, it wasn't his business.

"Look, your shitty dad is trying his best to fuck with me and your bitch of a sister is no different. I rescued and helped you to the best of my abilities, but now it is time that you go back to your comfort. I wasn't summoned here to save your kingdom, I was summoned to save the world. Countries come and go, so long as there are people about, they can reconstruct and rebuild." Naofumi said, waving a goodbye to the girl and the stunned agent.

That said, Naofumi organized his party and left, not uttering a word to the princess and making their way away from the duo.

Melty was still in place, shook. She expected Naofumi to at least want some form of revenge on the Heroes or the country, the church too now that he knew why he was being persecuted. So why had he left her there.

The Second princess could not understand why he could not trust her. What had her father done that made the Hero of the Shield hate royalty so much that he was willing to let a country burn to the ground, so long as he did not get caught in the cross-fire? Was Naofumi a coward? The princess wanted answers, and she was going to get answers.

"Shadow!" The sharp voice of the girl called the attention of the Queen's agent. "You are to tell me right now everything you know about the Shield Hero Naofumi! Spare no detail, I want the full report right now was to why he is in such a hostile mood against Melromark and the royal family." The female secret operative of the queen found herself on a tight spot.

First, the Shield Hero, their leading hope, had truly given up on assisting the kingdom. Who was she kidding? The Shielder never had any intention of helping the kingdom, the current king had done much to bother and harm the hero, never fully understanding the weight of the consequences of his actions. Queen Mirelia was busy negotiating with the other countries, and thus unable to stop the advances of the Church of Three Heroes or the foolish actions of her husband. Now she was busy stopping a war from happening, yet the foolish king continued acting harshly, contrary to his moniker of Wise Hero of the Staff.

The only hope of leverage that they had was the apparent wish for revenge of the hero and if luck be told, the Shadow unit he had accompanying him. When both these failed, the agent was sure that Melromark was doomed. While not fully incompetent, the three heroes were easily manipulated or influenced by outside factors, and that was excluding the fact that they treated the fate of this world as if it was a game.

Countless reports were given to Queen Mirelia, her Shadow Guard organization being the responsible for the reports, stated that the three offensive heroes were truly of the believe that this world was some sort of game or momentary distraction. When they were gathered on pubs or the like, the three would compare their actions and achievements as one compares chess matches or a game of Gwent.

Now, the Second Princess wanted to know the full details of the happening in the country, and the agent had no choice, but to obey. Queen Mirelia was a careful and cunning woman, with a silver tongue capable of turning many situations around; her children were no exception, being smart and cunning from their young age. However, as Malty used her smarts and beauty to extort and her selfish benefit, being spoiled rotten by her father, Melty spent more of her time around her mother and thus was groomed to take actions with the interest of the country in her mind.

The agent saw no other option, but to explain the true scope of the situation to the second princess.

"Very well. Let us keep following Shield Hero-dono. I shall tell you everything on the way. We must hurry, the trail may grow cold, and the Shielder's Shadow may also trouble us if he wishes for it." The agent told Melty.

* * *

When Melty once more found Naofumi, the hero had set a campfire on the outskirts of the forest, her visage and countenance was dark. The girl avoided looking at the hero, shame written all over her face

"What do you want?" Naofumi asked, dividing the food portions to his party.

Melty tried meeting his eyes, her own orbs wet and her voice cracking.

"N-n-naofumi...I'm sorry."


	13. Fan the Flames of Hatred Foolish lambs

**AU NOTES**

**Hello fellow temporary shut-ins! How do you do? Since I'm staying home due to COVID-19, I had some time to work on this chapter. Hope you enjoy!**

**Take special care and do not expose yourselves needlessly! **

**Fare thee well, fellow readers.**

**Ps: Magnus9284, please update Cursed Blood! I desperately need Necromancer Izuku to rip new ssholes into several people. I also wrote Blood for the Blood God due to your work, so thank you and no I did not copy your stuff. Or so I hope. Please do not sue if something came out alike.**

**Pss: You all Hyped for Doom: Eternal? Should we have our own [Doom Slayer Shield]? Or maybe a [Doot Slayer Shield]?**

**Ryujin Maou (Demonic Dragon Lord) out!**

* * *

After Naofumi had left Melty with the Queen's agent, he hoped that his problems with the royalty of Melromark would cease. Sure, the Church had branded him a demon, but even they could not invade other countries carelessly, else they would risk bringing the full might of foreign military forces in the country's lands.

He guided his party far from danger, his** [Cartographer's Shield] **constantly in use as he made his way through the forest. There were two nearby towns that Naofumi had once visited, one of which had a fair tolerance towards demi-humans and as such would serve his needs. Once he was three clicks (three kilometers) away, almost on the forest's edge, the hero stopped his party for a rest and a light meal.

The meal was light indeed, considering all their luggage had stayed behind in his wagon, the food consisted mostly of small critters they had hunted on their way. Small Pill rabbits, Direwolves and monster plants. The hero was thankful that Felicia had managed to regain some of her mana, allowing her to access her **[Pocket Dimension] **dark-type magic, inside which were also some food supplies.

As such, their dinner consisted of Spit-roasted rabbit meat and direwolf sandwiches and plant-monster salad. As he began to split the meal among his group, his senses picked movement closing in on their location. A small notification of** [Combo action]** appeared on the corner of his vision, the HUD displaying the use of his** [World Map]** and the recently acquired **[Enhanced Senses]** from the **[Spy Master Shield]**. Not that he had to worry, since Shadow was already up and at arms.

Raphtalia seemed a bit tense, her raccoon ears twitching as she also heard the approaching target. Firo seemed to busy staring at the group's food to notice anything of importance, Dera joining the Philorial as the duo drooled at the sight of his cooking. Felicia was occupied with a thick magic tome, her lit pipe resting on the ground as she rose her eyes to meet Naofumi's. The hero shook his head, not worried at all.

Soon enough, bushes were pushed apart and from the dark woods came Melty and her shadow guard. The Second Princess had a silent countenance, avoiding eye-contact with the Shielder at any cost, her guard also being quiet and waiting for the outcome of what was bound to be another talk.

The Shield Hero sighed in an effort to calm the spark of annoyance on the bottom of his stomach. He did not mean to be overly aggressive towards the girl, but she belonged to that royal family. Naofumi could not trust them, no matter what. Her mother, the Queen, most likely tried to tie her down on his back, maybe on some twisted hope that he would be a pack-mule and save the girl for the good of the kingdom. _I won't be deceived again! _

Time passed slowly, the crackling of the firewood the only sound present as the groups stayed silent. Firo expressed her happiness in seeing Melty once more, but one stern gaze from her master was enough to make the blonde loli sit down as if she received a harsh scolding. Naofumi finished with the food preparations and gave his party their share; that done, he cleared his throat.

"What do you want?" He asked, reigning as much anger off his voice as he could.

Melty tried meeting his gaze for a few times, all of which failed as her wet blue eyes fled his black pupils, her voice cracking as she tried to form a cohesive sentence.

"N-n-naofumi...I-I'm s-sorry!" Her voice betrayed her emotional state, the shadow behind the girl offering some support as a hand on the shoulder.

Yet, those words merely fed the spark in his gut.

He lowered his face slightly, his messy hair thankfully covering his eyes. Had that not happened, the duo would have faced the murderous and borderline insane look inside the hero's orbs. He had a hard time digesting the content of that phrase.

...

_Sorry?_

…

…

_.._

_._

_Is she sorry?_

Dark feelings tried to worm their way into his head and only by some miracle did he maintain a hold on them. His logical mind told him that Melty herself had done nothing to inquire his hatred; he knew it, fully understanding that simple fact.

Yet.

His heart roared, evil thoughts bringing a sort of grim glee in the mere notion of giving that Trash king some retribution, even if by association. Anything would be good enough, so long as it brought suffering on that pig. What wonderful revenge the Shield would gain, should he just give in this devious urge and inflict – if only a fraction – his pains on this princess. _The spawn of that trash would behave like him, nothing unexpected!_

It took Raphtalia touching his shoulder for him to snap back into reality. As he took in the sight of her face, Naofumi realized that he had spaced out. Nothing too long, a few seconds at best; however, those few seconds were enough for him to express his mood at Melty's apology.

"Naofumi-sama, are you okay?" The tender touch of Raphtalia's calloused hands relieved the tension on his shoulders slightly.

"Yeah, I'm good." He curtly answered. Melty was still on her initial spot, not having moved one millimeter even when suppressing her sobs. He still felt his anger flare as his eyes settled over her frame, but he reigned it in.

_She doesn't deserve to carry the sins of her father_ was what his rational mind insisted in affirming, making him release another sigh. He grabbed the wrapped-up extra sandwiches that had prepared for further down their journey and walked closer to the princess and her protector. The shadow unit tried to raise her face and maybe request once more that he try and meet the queen.

"L-lord Shield..." His Shadow was quicker, her dagger just shy of carving the other agent's throat open.

"Your useless self should know when to quit while ahead. Exiting the previous ordeal with your lives intact was more than what any of you could have bargained for, were it not for master's hard work. Cease that trap of yours, degozaru!" That was one of the few moments when the whole group had been present when Shadow spoke so much, seeing as she normally stuck to short and simple sentences. Even Firo was awed, almost dropping her pill rabbit ribs.

Tensions rose once more, but were dispersed as the Shield Hero sat on the old, fallen log that the group had camped around. He took a bite of his sandwich, munching on it for a while before he opted to swallow it. He seemed to ponder for a while on something, before stuffing the rest in his mouth.

"Melty, whatever you are here for, give it up. There is no point in begging or humiliating yourself, I will not agree to any request that you make; don't make this harder than it has to be, just go to your mother. Shadow, stand down." The hero said, his voice carrying his annoyance at Melty's actions. Shadow did as he instructed and backed off, standing behind him to offer quick support if necessary.

_Why can't she simply go away and leave me to live my life?_

"B-but..." She was trying her hardest not to cry, but even so, Melty felt tears prick even more at her eyes. As his words hit her, a horrible truth was beginning to dawn upon her. The initial request her mother sent her back home for had failed. Her father's antagonistic actions towards the Shield Hero had sent him over the edge, where he truly could not care for the kingdom. All the difficult words she learnt and the rigorous training she faced did not bear any fruits.

She eyed the food wrapped in a simple cloth on her hands. Why had he given her that?

"P-pardon this one's impertinence, Lord Shield, but if why would you offer us food when you stated that you wanted nothing to do with us?" The Queen's agent asked, some hope leaking into her voice.

The hero looked at her unimpressed. "Don't try to twist my actions. Think of that as a farewell gift, since I know she hasn't eaten since we started fleeing. That is my last action for you."

Melty shook her head, tears running slowly on her face. "T-that can't be, Naofumi! There has to be something that I can do to help you trust us back! PLEASE!" Desperation had truly set in on the girl, the sight enough to make Naofumi have pity for her.

"There is nothing that can be done." He assured, closing his eyes for a moment, before he rose from his seat. "Girls, finish your food. We don't have much until we reach Shiramo Town, so we depart in five." The hero gave his command, receiving quick responses from his party. His plans were quite simple.

He and his party would reach Shiramo Town, the place with bigger tolerance towards demi-humans on the area. There, he would buy a simple carriage and some supplies (thank god for the **[Currency Holder II Shield]**) that would last until he could cross the border between Melromark and Siltvelt or even ShieldFreeden. Any of those two would be good, so long as Naofumi left this hellhole. Crossing borders would be the biggest obstacle he was to face, but Naofumi preferred to think on crossing that bridge when he escaped his current predicament. His decisions made, he turned around.

As he turned around, he saw Melty cramming as much food inside her mouth as she could. It was a weird sight for sure, but nothing that mattered to him in the end. Not until she spoke out.

"Weh aahe coomming wit yyyoohhuuu." While improper behavior for a princess, it seemed that the girl had truly committed to the cause of bothering Naofumi. The hero had already said his piece, whatever Melty did right now was outside of his control or responsibility. He stood by his words from previously, he would not care if Melromark fell. His mission, as Trash himself said, was to face and win against the **[Waves of Calamity]**. Hence, so long as he did that, it mattered not if kingdom A or B was still there, so long as Naofumi won he was still in accordance to his _duty_.

He scoffed at the girl's attitude. She was still trying to act brave, even with her mouth stuffed to the brim with his food and tears staining her face.

"Whatever." He mentioned, eyes being drawn by a shining icon on his HUD. The hero's eyes began narrowing as notifications alerted him of something. "Fucking hell! Stand up, we are getting out of here ASAP!" He shouted in a serious tone. If he had more time, he would have worked to get the magic tool on Firo's leg off, but for now the girl would have to make due with her capped (Lv40) and suppressed status.

"Naofumi-sama?" Raphtalia questioned his sudden hurry, but soon enough she had an idea of what he meant.

**[Alert!] **

**[Hazardous Fire incoming!]**

His rush was soon followed by his party and their unwanted add-on. Not that Naofumi was in the mood to care for them, busy being a literal pathfinder/opener. His high defensive stats served him greatly as he bulldozed his way over anything standing in front of him. Monsters and trees were stomped and pushed away as the hero made use of his shield akin to a battering ram.

Melty and her protector had some difficulty following the ground, only managing to do so thanks to the path of destruction that the hero carved on the forest in his mad rush to flee the incoming heat death. The Second Princess was shocked further in awe and fear, knowing that her sister would set fire to the forest in an effort to draw her out from any possible hiding spot.

"I have met my fair share of persistent nobles and adventures, but this is getting ridiculous. What crime did you commit in your past life that made the Melromark king hate you this much, Naofumi?" Felicia asked on her perch, currently draped over the shoulders of the tank almost like a potato sack. It showed her incredible composure when the girl managed to both smoke out of her pipe and talk, not bothered in the slightest by her strange sitting.

"Fuck if I know! When I find that out, I'll tell you myself!" He exclaimed, taking care to hold the witch carefully. Considering their options, he opted to take the fastest route away from the fire and into Shiramo, which meant he had to carry the witch and Firo, who was clinging to his back. Since her stats were being sealed by Motoyasu's contraption, the Shield Hero allowed the philorial the ride.

Raphtalia, Shadow and Dera were just behind him, their pace fast enough that he did not have to worry about them losing sight of him. He could still sense Melty and her shadow unit, just on the edge of his range, still persistently following him. _Well, they are stubborn, I'll give them that! _He darkly joked in his mind.

"I could cast a fire-resistance spell on us, but I doubt you will enjoy sitting and waiting the fire to die down." The witch mentioned, blowing some smoke from her pipe and holding her hat. Naofumi scoffed at the suggestion, adding a bumping move to his shoulder and lightly startling the witch. "I'll take that as a 'no.'"

**[X****XX]**

* * *

**[X****XX]**

It took about an hour for them to find a secluded exit from the forest that was not close to Shiramo Town. Just because the place had bigger tolerance to demi-humans, it did not mean that he could just stroll to the front door and boldly show his face to anyone out there.

Thankfully, he did find his spot. A few minutes away from the walls of the town, just at the exit of the burning forest behind him. Naofumi checked his **[World Map]** and sighed in a relieved manner as his skill indicated that the fires had been smothered, no doubt work from the local lord. If the Hero remembered correctly, Shiramo had been one of the pioneering villages in their efforts to increase the relationship between humans and demi-humans, together with fishing village of Seaetto.

Seaetto had been the first village hit by the first wave, thus now a mere piece of land without lord or owner. It had a rather big extension of land in its possession, and normally there would be quite a squabble to have rights for the place, since it was rather ideal for fishing and farming. That it also was directly facing the sea also gave it the possibility of being a major trading hub as a port town.

The only problem was that Melromark was a big practitioner of human-supremacy, thus the land was considered filthy due to the demi-human population that had lived there. After the waves, and the soldiers pillaging it (Raphtalia had been quite depressed when she told him about how she had been slaved), no one wanted to put their hands on the place as investment on the land to once more develop it would take years and much hard labor.

Why was Naofumi remembering this? A small example of the stupidity of the nobles of Melromark, as well as an insight that there were still intelligent people in the country.

The noble lord of Shiramo was one of the few that realized that antagonizing the demi-humans was rather idiotic. Although he was still being pressured by the other nobles, his land had been developing at a steady and growing pace due to the hard work of the people of his place. He also was one of the nobles that wasn't an easily manipulated simpleton.

During his merchant days (and after the incident with the Acessory Dealer), Naofumi had been selling his recently made jewelry works to high-paying bidders – nobles – and the fools had eaten them up like cakes. All it took was him using the intermediary of Shadow and Raphtalia as front-faces, since the nobles knew him, but not his slaves. One of his targets had been the Shiramo Lord, the androgynous-looking man rapidly catching on his trick, but incredibly not harassing him about that. Neither did he say anything about the absurd prices the Shield had managed to rip away from the fools, but matching interests was probably the reason.

Naofumi asked Shadow to scout a bit as he went over his options, his following add-ons managing to catch up. It was its own sort of impressive that Melty still insisted in pursuing him, but right now Naofumi did not know if it was due to desperation of trying to save her mother's country or chasing the only opportunity of staying alive.

Yeah, he knew that he was her most reliable and safest option; that did not mean he had to like, or agree to the option.

The princess was currently piggy-riding on the Queen's agent's back, sweat matting her face and some soot marks dirtying her dress. The duo looked tired and worn out, most likely being caught in some of the effects of the forest fire caused either by that Malty Bitch or the Church's agents.

"N-naofumi! Let's try talking to Shiramo's lord! He is a trusted aid of Mother, he will surely help us out." Melty gasped as she talked to him. He was about to answer, but Shadow returned from her scouting.

With a body under her arms.

Naofumi blinked as he looked at his rogue/assassin slave.

"Master, this one found the local lord trying to approach us. This one opted to neutralize and bring the target to you." Shadow explained, showing that the man was still alive. The Shield Hero exhaled, he was surely taking some vacations after all of this was done.

He went to talk with the man, a few taps on the face enough to wake the noble.

"Well, this is definitively a surprise." The soft voice of Shiramo's lord snapped Melty away from her surprised stupor. "I was sure that my skills had not dulled, but I guess I was wrong about that, huh?" The joking tone did dissipate some tension from the air; Naofumi was ready to fix that, but before he could work his magic, the noble spoke once more.

"I think this conversation would flow better if we were back on my mansion, away from open sight. You have my word that you will be properly treated." The man was quick to propose, making the hero crease his brows and focus his eyes on his frame. "Please, Lord Shield, do not stare at me with those intense eyes. It makes me feel threatened." Although it was said in a joking tone, Naofumi could see the nervous sweat on the man. The dagger that was poking him on the ribs might also have helped, considering Shadow was taking no chances.

Naofumi continued his scrutinous look for a few more seconds before raising his hand. "Let him go, Shadow. Let's trust him on this one." Even as he said that, Naofumi had one hand behind his back, hand-signing to Raphtalia a simple message.

_Talk. Felicia. Spell. Ready. Flee. Anytime._

His first slave whistled softly like he taught her to, a signal that she had understood his message.

"Well then, lead the way." Naofumi helped the man up, head-motioning for him to move. _Try and spring a trap on me. I dare you!_

**[X****XX]**

* * *

**[X****XX]**

The sun was going down when Naofumi finished telling his tale to the young lord. The nobleman had offered them dinner and a place to rest, which the hero took, surprising Melty and her agent. The princess tried to promise Raphtalia some sort of punishment upon the guards that raided Seatto; the proposition making Naofumi scoff and give the princess a side-glance.

As the group finished their meal and went into their offered rooms, Naofumi constantly checking out his **[World Map]** skill in case that there were spies or enemies around them.

Melty tried to tell him off, that his behavior was disrespectful to Shiramo's lord. Not that he paid any attention; at this point, Melty was less an annoyance and something along the lines of a stone at the side of the road for the hero. He would not go out of his way to kick her away, and she was not so bothersome that his rage would wish to rampage constantly.

"Since we haven't been poisoned yet, and there are no spies or traps in here, we can relax for a while." He said to his girls, finishing his inspection of a nearby curtain. He headed to one of the beds and sat on it, his bulk weighting down the bed a bit. As his party did the same, Naofumi began the process of unfastening his armor, releasing a pleased noise as he loosened the first straps.

Raphtalia quickly left her sword aside as she noticed her lord doing this work and approached his bed. "Naofumi-sama! Here, let me help you." The hero looked at her, nodding as she sat by his side and began aiding him.

Shadow's presence was ghostly as always. The girl seemed to pop into existence, her hooded frame appearing near the bed post, guarding the duo of her master and his sword.

Firo jumped into a nearby bed and after messing it completely, went to sleep next to a curled up Dera. Felicia opted to take the desk, taking a few books from her hat and beginning to write something; Naofumi never managed to get a look at it, respecting the privacy of the witch. She also seemed to be stifling some creepy smiles as she wrote on it, so the hero would opt to not read that book unless extremely necessary to do so.

Finally free from his armor, Naofumi did a few stretches, as Raphtalia tried to carry the piece off the bed. She did so with some difficulty, the weight something she was not used to. The raccoon girl did manage to place the armor on the ground close to the bed, kneeling down as she tugged at the hero's boots.

"Hey, don't worry about that. I can do those myself, thanks for the help." Naofumi said, hand scratching awkwardly at the stubble under his chin. "Get some rest. We will sleep in turns, so I'll get first watch." The hero explained, hands busy as he worked on his boots.

"Alright, Naofumi-sama. Thank you." Raphtalia nodded at his orders, choosing a bed for herself. She began undoing her own armor, the leather piece much easier to take off than Naofumi's reinforced piece. That said, the hero still rose from his seat and sat behind her – careful that he would not sit on her tail – helping her undo straps and untightening strings. "There was no need, Naofumi-sama!" She just short of screamed.

He ignored her fumbling words, focused on the simplistic task. It was somewhat relaxing, fully immersed into something that would distract his mind form all the stress that ate away at him. It would not surprise him if in a few years he began to get bald. That was if he could even manage to survive that long. As he continued with the easy work, a pleasant mood was almost settled. The only problem was their uninvited guests/tag along.

"Naofumi. Can't you trust anyone? Why would you set watch hours when we are safe here?" Melty asked him, her usual accusing tone having been greatly removed from her voice. He glanced at her. One look was all the answer she needed to know what he was about to say. "I know that sister and father did some horrible things, but can't you trust even me..." her last words were a whisper, which he only managed to hear thanks to his **[Spy Master Shield]**'s skill.

He finished Raphtalia's straps and settled her light armor by the bedside. The hero tucked in the girl to sleep, giving her one last headpat for the day. Raphtalia was quick to fall asleep.

"Melty-sama, this worthless one thinks it might be best that you rest too." The Queen's agent's voice made Melty lower her head. All the information she had received was still swimming in her head, making her dizzy. And to know that the stains on Naofumi's reputation were the lighter aspects of her father's plan against the Shield.

Since killing him publicly was out of the option, smearing his name with slander guaranteed that he would remain companionless, thus weak and pathetic. A weak Shielder would be easy prey for even the weakest fodder of the Waves, but Naofumi was no ordinary Shielder. Even if it was unsightly or unpleasant, the hero did his best to survive, struggling against the world with tooth and nail. Survive he did, better yet, he thrived under the constant pressure and rose to become stronger than the current Three Cardinal Heroes, even when they had offensive-weapons.

Melty felt pathetic, her earlier self spouting self-servicing and patronizing words, when she was never caught wanting. She remembered how she tried to force the hero to apologize to her father, when in truth her father should be begging for the Shield's help with his forehead glued to the ground. Had Naofumi not intervened when he did, she would be long dead; one more corpse for her sister's ascension to heir of the throne.

Even with tears stinging her eyes and her head lowered, Melty swore that she would do the Shield justice. She would assist him in any way she could, for he was the only one who could save Melromark. Maybe, if he saw her worth, any worth, one day he would assist her too. Now Melty understood as to why Naofumi received the Shield. While the other weapons were meant to harm and destroy, the shield was meant to protect and shelter. And that realization hurt all the more when the royal girl remembered that Naofumi was being called Shield Demon.

Melty laid down on her borrowed bed, silent tears rolling down her face as she fell asleep, all the stress and accumulated fatigue finally catching up to the royal girl.

Naofumi took his time to analyze his current skills as well as he could. Many shields were presented to him, all of them the reason he was still alive in this world. Exactly as he said before, even if the bonuses were small, even dirt could stack up to a mountain. His eyes roamed the skill list, trying to formulate plans for the future; his focus being interrupted every so often as his skill picked up on the Queen's agent's staring eyes.

_Does she think she is being stealthy just because of the mask?_ He wondered, trying to focus once more in his work. Effort which failed again, her stares constantly pinging the skill active. Huffing in displeasure, Naofumi rose from his seat on the bed and did a check-up round on his girls. Firo was sleeping heavily, Dera's four heads were all snoring peacefully and Raphtalia was the quietest one, her chest slowly rising and descending.

Shadow was probably either patrolling or scouting for information. Naofumi wondered if he needed Ketamine to keep the rogue/assassin still for a few hours, but as he had no access to such powerful and modern medicine, he would wait for her to come back.

His duty done, an unknown weight leaving his back, Naofumi walked to the glasspane windows of his room. The moons lit the sky, a rather pretty sight for sore eyes such as his. It also cast a light inside the room, illuminating half the hero, while leaving the other half obscured. He got some message in his HUD about some shield being unlocked, but it did not matter right now. All that Naofumi wanted right now was some peace of mind, some guarantee that he could manage this. That he would successfully flee and live his life away from the dreadful lands of Melromark. The place that stole what they could from him, and were still trying to steal.

…

…

...

_**[Destroy...]**_

…

_**..**_

_**.**_

_**[Hate...]**_

_**.**_

_**..**_

_**...**_

_**[Scorch them...]**_

…

_**..**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

The whispers from the darkest corners of his mind rose to disturb him. When nothing was happening, when his mind was passive, in his lowest moments, there was the voice of his mind, his truest and darkest wishes rose to tempt him into a most foul path. The zombie dragon's core probably had some influence over it, but Naofumi recognized his rage and wrath. He knew that.

A tender touch snapped him away from the melancholy of his mind, the hero turning to face the person who had touched his shoulder.

"Naofumi." Felicia only said his name, her usually bored face was full of worry for him. It made his stomach twist and turn in unpleasant ways. "Your magic was rather erratic for a few moments there. Are you alright?" This buxom woman was a recent person in his group, but one that meshed well with him. Felicia kept to herself and spoke what came to her mind, which was a trait Naofumi appreciated. She had not given him reasons for suspiciousness, but he still doubted her from time to time.

It seemed rather intrinsic for him now, doubting the will of other people. Raphtalia and the girls were his slaves, and he had raised most of them, hence there was no reason to doubt them. And Felicia seemed to be worming her way inside his heart too, but that only made the hero more fearful. Romance was not in far-sight – in fact, it wasn't even in the list – even friendship seemed to be a strange concept for him now.

"Would you believe if I said I was?" He questioned, casting a tired glance over his girls. The witch grimly smiled. She offered her smoking pipe to him, a thin trail of burnt mentoli (this world's version of mint) wafted in his nostrils and made him remember his days in the university, where after a stressful test, he and his buddies would make merry with drinks. There was always that one smoker with a mint-flavored cigarette pack.

He took her offer, filling his lungs with small deal of (surprisingly) refreshing smoke. The Shield let the smoke warm his lungs for a few seconds before he exhaled it through his nostrils, looking every bit like a dragon. _If only I smelled of sulfur,_ he joked in his mind, coughing a bit as the last bits of the smoke left his body.

"Too strong for the fortress hero?" The witch joked as she took her pipe back, inhaling a great deal of smoke. Naofumi took the jab with a crooked smile.

"Let me take you to a pub, I'll drink you under the counter and more." He delivered his own sassy comment, sitting at the edge of the desk where she had been working on.

"I'll hold you unto that offer, Naofumi." Felicia swayed her way to the room's door, her hips moving a bit more than what he was used to. "I'm feeling a bit thirsty, so some coffee would be nice. The fortress hero would like some, or he will be too busy, brooding under the moon light?"

Naofumi tilted his head to the side. "_Fortress Hero?_"

"Suits you rather perfectly, don't you think? Immovable walls(armor), top-tier defenses (Shield), difficult to read at face value, powerful counterattacks, and a good bit of edge. If we were to dress you in black armor, we could even call you Kuro No Maou (Black Demon King)." He had to work hard to stifle the laugh that almost burst out of his mouth.

He stood up and checked the time in his HUD, noticing that his watch turn had ended two hours ago. He barely let the words out of his mouth before the requested presence was kneeled in front of him.

"Shado-…"

"This worthless one is ready to serve."

He blinked. Now that he checked the HUD, there were many messages that told him that the girl had arrived back from her duty and was resting. He shrugged, _she deserved the rest anyway and it is not like I'm tired._

"Thanks for scouting. Please, take over the watch for now and after three hours wake Raphtalia and _switch._" He made sure to put emphasis on the switching part, as if not rightly ordered, Shadow would continue soldiering on with any duty he gave her and would try to do anything else he commanded at any moment. It almost bordered on fanatical her wish to please him, but he was making due so far, always assuring that she would not burn out.

"Right away, master!" He nodded, wondering if she truly understood.

After a few seconds, he turned around and followed Felicia to the kitchen. They stayed there until Shadow came to get them, stating that they also needed the rest for tomorrow.

Yes, tomorrow.

Naofumi would not be crazy to rely too much on the hospitality of Shiramo's lord. Even if the man wasn't actively looking to betray Naofumi, staying in one spot for too long anywhere in Melromark's lands was bound to have them found out by the three wankers and the fucking Church.

**[X****XX]**

* * *

**[X****XX]**

The sun was shining its earliest rays when Naofumi finished his preparations. The maids of the mansion had been so kind as to make him breakfast, which he was going to accept. He was rather thankful that Shiramo's lord had not sold him out to the close by nobles, or the church. If given the chance, Naofumi decided that he would engage in business with this one.

Friendship was a rather strong word that he preferred to steer away from, but business was clear and simple. Profits and losses were some of the major factors in a business deal, so while Naofumi could not trust people, he could trust money.

He and his party had just finished their food when one of the maids barged into the room, panting like a hound that had chased a rabbit.

"Lord Shield! You must flee right now! The surrounding nobles have launched a full-scale search for you, and they accused our lord of sheltering you! Quick, flee!" The young maid shouted, rushing him out of the nearby back door.

Naofumi sucked a breath, anger quickly painting his face. He checked his **[World Map]**, finding the mansion being slowly surrounded by many red dots. He looked back at on his room, thankful that only his party was awake. Melty and her guard were still asleep, the exhaustion must have taken them both hard.

_Shiramo's lord can take care of them, and it would be bad if the population caught word that nobles were keeping the heir to the throne as a hostage; finally, free._ He thought, equipping his **[Spy Master Shield]** and using one of the bonus skills granted to him.

**[Spy Master Shield]**

**-Increase in agility +50**

**+Passive Skills: [Silent Steps] [Assassination Techniques] [Information Gathering] [Lie Detection(small)]**

**+Bonus Skills: [Stealth Suit (NEW!) (small)] [Enhanced Senses(medium)] [Active Camouflage]**

Naofumi had been receiving many of these transformation-type bonus skills, the majority of them dealing with changes to his armor. He wasn't complaining, whatever would help him, he was taking it. It also fed a bit of flame into his chuuni-side, but he would prefer death to admit that he enjoyed these transformation-type skills.

His armor shone, the leather shifting and fusing together with the light metal parts to turn into something different from his usual bandit-lord looks. The new material clung to his skin like a bodysuit, even his cape had disappeared, adding to the material. As the transformation ended, Naofumi looked at his new armor, if it could be called armor.

The hero had an impressed look on his face as his new armor resembled something straight out a military-themed movie. The black suit clung to his frame, showing his hardened body; important parts were reinforced by dull black metal, and his neck was protected by a neckguard. There were a few straps which he could cling pouches and small bags from, the suit also seemed to not emit any noise, as his footsteps were completely silent even when stepping on the kitchen's cobblestone floor. _(MGS V Stealth suit, without the technology of course)_

_There is no time to be impressed, you fuck! _Naofumi swore in his mind, clicking his fingers and snapping his girls out of their impressed and silent state.

"Make it quick, all of you. There is no time to lose!" The hero exclaimed, already by the door with his things. The girls were quick to follow, exiting the room per his command. As they let, Naofumi gave his instructions.

"You all will follow Shadow out of here." He said, raising no room for questions. "She is the best suited for this, so you will follow her every word. I need to do a few things here before I go, so you'll go ahead." He explained as they rushed to the roof of the mansion. Naofumi could already hear some doors being kicked open as soldiers rushed to invade the place. "My defense will guarantee that even if I'm discovered, I'll be able to flee without having to worry about you. If I take any of you with me, there will be no guarantee that I'll be able to protect you."

The hero knew that his girls were not in agreement with what he said. He knew their skills very well, he had trained them himself. Yet, he could not let go of the nagging feeling that if they followed him, they would end up dead. So, he would do this alone. If only for his selfishness.

"Naofumi-sama!" Raphtalia exclaimed, but he was quick to put one hand over her mouth, a group of soldiers exiting the backdoor they had, but not noticing their presence on the rooftop.

He peeked out, finding the guards looking over the nearby trees for them. One relieved sigh and the hero returned his gaze to the girls. He hand-signed the following orders: First, he pointed to his rogue/assassin slave, indicating both him and her, followed by a finger running across the throat and them towards the guards. Finally, he pointed to the whole group and towards the direction of the next city. The translation of the orders made Raphtalia bitterly nod, aware that her lord was done playing around.

_-Shadow: Follow. Kill. Guards; _

_-Group: Flee. That direction._

While Felicia did not know the exact meaning of the hand-signs, it was easy to recognize the "Slit Throat" gesture. The witch closed her eyes and slowly nodded, doing a gesture that Naofumi supposed was some sort of prayer for the soon-to-be deceased.

Firo merely tilted her head sideways, wondering what all the serious mood was about. She was free from the magic shackle that Motoyasu had put on her, the device having been fed to his shield long ago. Dera seemed to get his meaning. Or not, the hydra was merely observing the situation, her four tongues tasting the air as she basked in the early morning light.

_It's too early to be spilling blood like this._ Naofumi almost murmured his complain, already on the edge of the roof, his hand raised in a closed fist. Shadow was by his side, her hood pulled up, making the duo resemble a menacing gargoyle statue. He rose three fingers, slowly letting them down as the group of five guards finished their fruitless search.

As he lowered the last finger, his hand came down as he acted. The** [Spy Master Shield]** resembled a kite-shaped shield, painted in a dull dark blue color. He pointed the edge of the shield to his current target, one of the distracted knights. As he fell, the hero did a spin and his feet were aimed at the knight, all the weight and momentum of the Tanker suddenly being transferred to the soldier's shoulders, his head being bashed in thanks to the pointed end of the shield. His death was instant, human spines not designed to bear such a load. The man fell to the ground like a puppet whose strings were cut.

The other four guards did not know how to react, seeing their companion become a pancake of snapped bones, armor and blood. They did not have the time to react.

Shadow also descended like a human-shaped missile, her lighter weight still enough to deal serious damage if she were to follow his approach. But she was a shadow, a master-assassin. She was THE shadow of the shield, and if he wanted those soldiers dead, they would die.

Her fall was carefully calculated. Her target barely felt her weight, the rogue letting her momentum continue as she spun around the soldier's neck with the aid of her nimble legs, wrapping Metal Thread Wire around it as she spun. Her momentum continued, the girl jumping for her second – still motionless – target. A pull of her hands and two heads flew high in the air, her weapon slicing through flesh and chainmail like butter. As she retracted the lengths of her weaponry, a quick draw of her hands had three daggers out of their leather sheaths and into three parts of the fourth soldier. Heart, neck and eye were hit with pin-point accuracy, ending the life of yet another soldier.

The last one watched with his eyes wide open as his companions were massacred, his legs feeling like lead as he wondered where had they acted wrong. His sword was long forgotten in the sheath by his hip, the spear he carried serving more as a support point than a proper weapon. His eyes watered as he tried to speak any sort of warning, his throat far too dry for anything to exit it.

His pants became darker around the crotch area, his legs beginning to tremble fiercely as he watched the two assassins lock their eyes on him. Any pleas for life were wasted, their eyes were fresh out of mercy.

"E-E-E-enem-…" The last word he tried to speak died in a spurt as he felt a terrible heat in his body. He looked at the source of his pain, a sword hilt crammed into his shoulder, the blade currently hidden inside of him. His lungs filled with blood, the soldier fell dead on the ground, drowning on his own blood.

"T-there, it is done, Naofumi-sama." Raphtalia said, her voice cracking like the day she killed the two-headed demon hound. Her leather armor had a small splatter of blood due to her trying to copy their execution.

_It was a clean hit_, the hero noticed. He walked close to the raccoon girl and hugged her trembling body while soothing her by patting her head. He knew he could not afford to waste time, thus he quickly separated himself from the girl. Time was trickling down and there was much to be done.

Raphtalia tried to harden her expressions, but he could still see the desperation in her eyes. He would sooth her as much as she wanted when this was all over. For now, he ended it with one last headpat.

Shadow immediately took his place, guiding the group away from the mansion and any other danger she could sense. The hero did not look backwards as they fled, he knew they were safe as long as they.

His hand automatically searched around his neckguard, finding an extra cloth that he pulled up on his face. The dark fabric covered his lower face, the front of the cloth having a skull design that matched over the mouth area. The climb back to the rooftop could not be easier, his movements resembling that of an alley cat. Moving the tiles carefully, Naofumi was back inside the mansion.

He managed to cling to the roof easily enough, his MP being used by the stealth suit to make him match the surrounding terrain that he was at. Doing so, Naofumi snuck past several patrols, gathering information as he did so. It wasn't exactly easy, seeing as the soldiers were focused on searching for him, not talking much as they did so. Even then, he managed to acquire tid-bits of info as time went on.

Two hours of search and a few mana potions later, Naofumi was back at the kitchen area of the mansion. The maids were all gathered here, some even having noticed his presence but staying quiet as to avoid giving him away.

It seemed that the search was about to be called off, when a squad of soldiers almost broke the doors down. Naofumi clung to the ceiling, ears open as to hear any conversation that was bound to happen.

The soldiers made a mess of the place, throwing chairs and tables all about, food being squashed under their boots as they did their search. No place was left untouched, drawers and cupboards smashed apart as a possible hiding place.

The men even tried threatening the maids, pulling on their dresses and shouting at the working women. For the Shield Hero's surprise, they held steady in their play, never uttering a word that he was in that very room. He would be sure to remember the faces of everyone.

Their search was almost done.

Naofumi almost let some hope in his heart that he had weathered out the storm, but his luck was not up to par. The soldiers were about done when one voice shouted at them, the tone something the hero had grown to despise.

"AND WHAT DO YOU LOT THINK THAT YOU ARE DOING!" Melty appeared on the door, her voice instantly stopping all the soldiers and making the maids widen their eyes. Naofumi himself was surprised that the royal girl would expose herself like that.

_What the fuck do you think you are doing, Melty?! And where the fuck is your shadow unit? Can't these people do something right for once?_ The hero almost shouted at the royal, his fingers cracking his hold on the roof, which made crumbling bits of stone fall down. He held his breath and let his suit almost drain his mana pool to raise his stealth as much as possible.

It seemed to have worked as the guards had their focused attention on the Second Princess.

"Is she the real deal?"

"Seems so, only royalty has that kind of presence."

"The dress is also the royal colors of Her Highness' banner. It must be the Second Princess."

As the soldiers confirmed among themselves, Melty puffed her chest and put one hand over it.

"That is correct! I am Melty Q. Melromark, the Second Princess and Heir to the throne. Might you lot explain the reasons as to why you invade the mansion of an ally noble with all the decency of common bandits? Is this the training that Melromark gives to its soldiers? Assaulting maids and causing destruction? When there is the threat of the Waves, this is the behavior of our supposedly brave warriors?" The girl laid a verbal smack down on the men, many of them turning their faces away from the royal heir.

They began to sheath their weapons when slow clapping came from the direction of the open door, right behind Melty. From where he clung to, Naofumi could see that the girl's stunt was merely a play, acting tough to shake the soldiers' confidence long enough so that both his group and she could escape. Her resort had backfired.

The clapping man was clearly a noble, his clothes easily showing that much. If not, the many jewels and rings served as proof; and if even that was not enough, the rotund belly and fancy moustache cut would serve as final word.

"Pardon such brutish behavior, my princess. We are in a holy crusade against the Shield Devil, and thus do not have the time to worry about the proper etiquette. You must forgive us, but we act in the name of God." The lord of Ningenyami, the next big town close to Shiramo, spoke in an eloquent manner, one hand over his chest as he bowed lightly. As he rose up, the rosary of the Church of Three Heroes was proudly displayed over his chest.

Naofumi's hands increased their grip, making more stone bits crumble, yet he still held silent.

Melty seemed to gather some courage, ensuring that she would not crumble under this sudden pressure. "Is that so? And how are you so sure that Shield Hero Naofumi was here?"

The noble gave her a light laugh.

"Your very presence here confirms such fact, does it not Melty-sama? Last you were seen was in his presence, under his vile hands. The Church also confirmed that he was last seen heading towards this direction. For all intents and purposes, he is hidden somewhere here!"

Melty held her dress, a habit Naofumi guessed she did when nervous, and did a deep breath. "Lord Butamaru, Shield Hero Naofumi simply dropped me here and left on his own. He must be miles away from this very location, as he has employed the aid of a very powerful witch. Besides, I'm willing to testimony in his favor. Queen Mirelia will be the one to decide these matters, and as her spoken voice and chosen representative, I request that you withdraw your soldiers this very moment!"

Naofumi was very impressed with the royal girl's attitude. That she made such believable lie on the spot and was pushing her narrative spoke miles of her skills, and did made him add points to his image of Melromark's Queen.

_However..._

Butamaru nodded to the words, his disgusting smile never leaving his lips. "Very well, Melty-sama. We shall withdraw this very moment; but we must take Shiramo's lord with us, for investigative purposes of course! Your word is reliable for sure, but with the Shield Demon's brainwashing power running wild, we must never be too sure of anything. Your cooperation will be valuable, princess, so I _ask _that you come with us too." The noble also made sound arguments that Melty could not go against, unless she wanted to appear suspicious.

She wanted to say something more, anything would do. She was surely skilled in negotiation and her persuasion was sound, but there was only one reason she lost this time.

**Experience.**

Thus, the princess lowered her head and accepted it.

"Very well. If it ensures that such false information is dispelled, I shall go with you." She told Butamaru, who rose his hand to his soldiers. The men quickly began to leave the kitchen area, escorting Melty and Butamaru away.

**[X****XX]**

* * *

**[X****XX]**

Five minutes after the group left, Naofumi finally dropped down from the ceiling. His feet cracked the stone floor under him, the camouflage of the hero dispersing to reveal his frame. The hero's eyes were absolutely livid, his fury wrapped around him like a flaming aura. The headmaid, the same one to warn him to flee, came close to him.

"Please, Lord Shield! Contain your fury! If you give chase, the sacrifice that Princess Melty did shall be in vain." The maid pleaded, facing him when all the others would not. He focused his gaze on her frame, slit-shaped pupils taking in her form.

He hated being in debt. It was naïve thinking that Melty would be fine under the hands of that Butamaru, specially seeing as he had a rosary of the church. He looked over the maids, hoping to find the one dud.

It was not hard to spot her, as no one was that uninteresting. Before she could scramble away, Naofumi grabbed her by the back of her neck, slamming her face on the nearby wall. The illusion magic dispelled easily enough, the shadow unit under too much pain to maintain the necessary focus.

As she clutched at her broken nose, Naofumi was already on top of her. One hand held her throat while the other manifested his **[Self-Immolation Curse]**'s flame.

"Answer the question or I'll shove this down your throat. Believe me when I say that the curse is much worse than the burn." His eyes displayed that the hero was very much serious about the threat. The Queen's agent gulped hard, seeing first-hand the infamous _cursed flame_ that Naofumi had quickly became famous for among the shadow units of both the Church and the Queen. "Why did you not intervene and let Melty be taken away?"

"This worthless one is not qualified to answer." The agent held firm, even under such threat. She had undergone training to avoid information being extracted from her in case of capture. Naofumi approached the hand holding the black fire, merely touching her cheek.

All the torture training could not prepare her for the pain that assaulted her. The flames burnt her skin, the pain tortuous enough on its own, but the worst part came from her mind. No, better yet, it seemed that the flames were damaging her very soul. There was no protection against that.

The pain hit everywhere and absolutely nowhere, as even when she knew he had merely touched her skin with one finger, the brutal assault on the senses was overwhelming.

"There was an order by the Master of Whispers, the leader of the Shadow Unit, that the queen was the highest priority. Even if the heir is killed, as long as the Queen is alive, another worthy heir can be bred, born and raised accordingly." The unit spoke after mere seconds under his cursed flames' touch. Not that the answer satisfied Naofumi. He knew that the information was true, his **[Lie Detection]** skill did not trigger as she said that. Yet, it triggered when the hero changed his approach understanding the answer.

"Tha**t is not** the an**swe**r that **I want!** Why di**d y**ou let M**elt**y g**o?!" **He knew that the agent was telling him the answer that he wanted to hear. He hated them and she was feeding him a convenient truth. There was no way that the Queen would let such thing happen. He knew that due to a simple thing. She, to his growing anger, had trust Melty into his path, counting on the chance that he would help her.

Yes, it was risky as all hell. But it also showed how much she valued the girl, her precious heir, that she was willing to bet all her chips into him.

"Because Melty-sama said that she wanted to help you."

That made the annoying buzz of **[Lie Detection] **fully stop. He released the agent, quickly swapping shields. As **[Holy Shield]** healed the Queen's shadow, Naofumi felt like a volcano about to explode.

He finished healing the agent and took a few breathes to calm himself down. As his shield returned to default stage, his armor also doing the same, Naofumi chose his course of action. His gaze returned upon the shadow unit, her frame flinched under the intensity of his slit eyes.

"One more time!" He said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'll rescue her one more fucking time! After this, if you don't head immediately to the Queen with Melty in tow, I swear I'll wring your neck!" After his statement, he checked out the position of his party with **[World Map]**. Seeing them safe and sound, hidden and far away from any enemies, the hero released a sigh. He hated being in debt to anyone.

_Why in seven hells did Melty exposed herself like that? Was it too much to ask that she simply returned to her life of luxury as her mother fixed their fucking mess of a country?_

Naofumi wanted to tear his hair off his head. Another heated sigh left the hero. At least her rescue would give him an excuse to line his pockets with as much cash as he could find, as there was bound to have a treasury inside Butamaru's castle.

Naofumi also had a favor to pay back to Shiramo's lord. And now Melty too.

_Fucking troublesome people. _He cursed, checking out his map, mind already busy trying to formulate a strategy. He took another mana potion from his pouch and drank the contents, once more equipping the **[Spy Master Shield]**.

"Follow me, and tell me everything you can about that Butamaru fucker. He said that he wanted to hunt me, right? Let's see how does he feel about being the hunted this time!" Naofumi said to the Queen's agent, the woman immediately snapping into formation behind him.

"He called me Shield Devil, right?"

"Indeed, Lord Shield."

"We cannot disappoint his expectations now, can we?!"

…

…

…

…

**[Ping!]**

**[Dem** Lo**] Series has been updated.**

**[End Bringer] Series has been updated.**

**[Avenger Shield unlocked]**

**-[Shield Hero Naofumi Iwatani] is granted by the [Will of the World] three [Dr #** Empe#$ *] cores due to creation of a new [Hero Job (Dem** Lo**)].**

**+Error! [Shield Hero Naofumi Iwatani] is under the required level. Searching optional means to grant the reward.**

**[Ping!]**

**-Optional means found. Hereby offering the Shield Gem the [Dr #** Empe#$ *] cores as materials.**

**[Curse Series (Sin of Wrath)] is being updated.**

**[Wrath Shield II requires one last material to evolve].**


	14. Fan the Flames of Hatred, part II

**AUTHOR NOTES.**

**Sorry, I am late?**

**Won't give excuses, if you read Blood God, you know what happened.**

**Enjoy.**

**ps:What height size do you consider to be scary? I mean, for me the intimidation factor came first from the aura certain people would project, and that their height would add to it, but I have received some reviews that overly focused on the height factor, considering I took Izuku's height into cannon.**

* * *

Rushing and jumping through the rooftops of Shiramo Town, Naofumi was making his way towards the rest of his party on the next city. The hero did not stop for anything, his moves precise and backed by a purpose; making the shadow unit following him push herself in hopes of matching the performance of the hero.

_This is truly astounding! Even when under leveled and being bothered by the kingdom, Shield Hero Naofumi still managed to grow this strong in such a short period of time. If he had the backing of the kingdom from the very beginning, what kind of monster would he be now? _The agent mused in her mind, observing the defensive hero guide them to his companions. It was common knowledge that heroes and their companions grew at a different pace from the normal soldier or adventurer, the blessing that the hero received from their **[Holy Weapon]** guaranteed that a hero and their party had the effective strength of a country.

Heroes were that kind of special existence. Their power and otherworldly knowledge was essential for the battle against the **[Waves of Calamity]**. The **[Will of the World]** itself recognized them as special protectors, the very system that granted people their status magic. It would be beyond foolish to try and antagonize them. All of that was knowledge that even the poorest peasant was aware, so it baffled the agent that her king would do such a thing.

Melromark had a stigma against the Shield, their last war against the demi-humans one of the major facts into accounting the rise of the Church of Three Heroes and the practice of human-supremacy in the country. The incident against the king's family also fueled the hate of the royalty towards both the demis and the Shield. However, the operative was also aware that Melromark had not being built on a clean slate, considering they were an offspring from Faubley, thus many of their practices were also standard practice in the Matriarchal Monarchy.

The agent had done many immoral acts for her country and queen; espionage, sabotage, assassination and back-hand deals were some of the dirty dealings that happened behind the stages of the kingdom. There would be no other way to control a country such as Melromark otherwise, especially in the recent years with the growth in power that the state religion had. At first, it was convenient for the royalty to back up the Church of Three Heroes, using the background of the war to unite the people against one common enemy. The past Shield Hero and the Demi humans of Siltvelt.

Now, though, the Church had grown too powerful and too greedy. Their little conspiration plan of dethroning the Queen had long been discovered by the shadows. The only problem laid on the fact that the Church had the backing of many of the noble houses of the country, thus it would not be easy to take that power away from them without bloodshed.

Queen Mirelia had been slowly gaining the upper hand against them due to their rush to summon the Four Heroes, and now had been the perfect opportunity. She only needed the aid of the Shield Hero, the idea that he had been helping them would be good propaganda to spread and calm the other nations, as well as slowly change Melromark. That chance had clearly gone to waste, thanks to the king's needless meddling.

Now the operative hoped with all her heart that Shield Hero Naofumi changed his mind, even though she knew it was a false hope. It had been a miracle that he even decided to save Princess Melty, as he had no obligation to go along with the selfish desires of the Second Princess. She had good intentions for sure, but she only ended up putting herself in mortal danger.

"Look alive, we reach the others in ten!" Naofumi said to the agent, the woman finding that he had become quite good in the stealth arts. _It was only expected when one finds himself being hunted down_, she sarcastically thought, trying her best to not convey her nervousness as she nodded to his statement.

As per his word, ten minutes later and just at the edge of Ningenyami, there were his party. They had hidden in one of the many alleys of the developing city, inconspicuous enough that nobody would go out of their way to search the place. The hero did not wait for the agent, merely making his way to his girls. They seemed to be aware of their presence there, the raccoon demi-human and the Shadow unit immediately turning their heads into his direction as he descended into the alley like a well-experienced burglar.

"Naofumi-sama!"

"Master!"

The hero approached them, raising both hands to their heads. He began slowly patting the head of the swordswoman, the rogue/assassin content with the mere touch of his hand. His other companions waited their turns, the Hydra snake-ling and the Philorial clearly bothered that they had to wait their turns for their master's affection.

After a few minutes of intimacy with the two girls, Naofumi released them and made his way to the others.

The agent saw the display with some shame, her mind asking if she was allowed to see this intimate moment between the hero and his companions. Seeing their interaction made the agent disgusted that she had been bothering the hero for their internal affairs, pushing a job that was clearly theirs into his back and demanding he do it with a smile.

The agent wondered, only for a moment, if she could exchange places with the Shield Hero's Shadow. Would she be this appreciated? Would she be treated with such care?

**[XXX]**

* * *

**[XXX]**

Naofumi finished checking on both Firo and Dera, content to confirm their well-being. He finished giving the girls their headpats and hugs, the monster-girls complaining when he finished, the hero checked on his last companion.

"Felicia." He called, eyeing the witch as she fixed a coat around her shoulders. It did not match her Witch's dress, the bulky clothing very different from what he expected of the Zauberer girl.

She tilted her head to the side, giving Naofumi a lazy smile. "Fortress-sama, forgive the less than eye-pleasing clothes, but this sorceress is used to be spoiled by your comfortable and warm wagon. It got chilly and I wanted to save some mana." Her sarcastic and teasing tone made the hero regain some semblance of a good mood.

"Don't worry about it. Next time I'll make you something and enchant it." He said, giving her one of his gentler smiles. The witch was stunned, not used to see him making that kind of face. She could not help the blush that dusted over her face, although she hid it well using the wide brim of her hat.

"Aren't you a lady killer?" She joked, lightly punching his chest. He brushed it off and turned back to his girls.

"Everyone will get a gift after this is done." Naofumi said, dismissing the pouting lips of Firo, the blond girl crossing her arms and pretending to be angry at him. He scoffed, seeing that she could be this childish in their current situation. Dera was a good girl and merely waited for his orders, her tongues flickering out in regular intervals to taste the air.

"There is no need, Naofumi-sama." Raphtalia said, her mood still low. Her ears were down, making Naofumi's heart tighten a bit at the sight. She once more assumed a serious façade, trying to reassure him. "But, why is that shadow agent here?"

He took a deep breath, exhaling like he was absolutely exhausted. He had to raise one hand to stop Shadow from deploying Metal Thread Wire and slicing the other agent into bits.

"Melty got taken away by the town's noble, a fucking prick that goes by Butamaru. An associate of the Church." Naofumi said as he pointed to the castle at the cliff of a far elevation. "I decided to help Melty one last time. She will be the princess' ticket to her mother after we get her out." The hero said as he pointed to the agent.

Said agent was simply standing up there, avoiding any other moves. She had already pissed off both the hero and his party enough times to know that any unnecessary thing that left her mouth would only earn her a dagger between the ribs. Not a pleasant way to go, if you asked her.

Naofumi was busy noticing the trembling of Raphtalia's hands. He knew she was shaken by the recent events and that soldier's life which she had taken. However, this was different from that; it seemed as if the girl was on the very edge of having a panic attack. The hero noticed that she had become like this since he had mentioned Butamaru's name. It seemed as if the noble's name had triggered something inside his slave.

He approached her and once more gave the girl a few headpats, calming her somewhat.

"Mind telling me what got you like this?" He asked. Raphtalia seemed conflicted, wondering if she should or not open up to him. He waited patiently, sure that this was as serious as the time she had explained the circumstances behind her parents' demise.

The raccoon girl put one hand over the hilt of her sword, the other holding on his chest armor as if it was a lifeline. "Naofumi-sama...I-I'm sure that-t this is the town where me and Lifana-chan were sold to our most cruel master. For m-me, it was only a few days since the lord found me boring, but Lifana-chan stayed behind. I-I could not help her...N-Naofumi-sama." Raphtalia's voice cracked and it was clear to him that she was suffering as she remembered whatever had happened to her here. It caused the simmering in his stomach to return, the spark of rage that would lead to a fiery inferno.

Naofumi did his best to stop his wrath from going out of control, the hero formulating a plan in his mind. He took in account the information his unwanted add-on told him, the beginnings a devious plan being concocted in his mind.

_He seems to have some sort of sealing monument in his castle. Releasing the seal doesn't seem to be a good idea, whatever is in there is sealed for a good reason. I could simply ghost by, but that fucker needs a lesson. Screw that! The entirety of this fucking kingdom needs to learn I won't simply let them step all over me!_

The hero checked his **[World Map]**, seeing if he could trace the best way towards the castle. A few routes marked, the hero kept listening as Raphtalia continued speaking.

"N-now I hold a sword, I'm strong. I-I have killed a person...I don't know if I'll be able to hold myself back if I see him, Naofumi-sama!" Anger began slipping into voice of the girl. She lifted her head to look at her master, wondering what he would say. Would he admonish her dark desires for revenge? Would he scold her for wishing to stain her blade with the blood of her torturer?

"Then don't hold back!" Naofumi exclaimed, making the Queen's shadow agent widen her eyes behind her mask. "Take your revenge Raphtalia, I'll be right there with you to protect you. Then, we will smear our happiness across their faces. The church, that bitch, that trash-king. I told you before, didn't I? They wanted a demon; I'll give them one!" It was clear that her master was more than pleased with her and her wish. Raphtalia knew that the dark feeling was one that could burn anyone out should it be left out of control, yet she could not stop herself wanting to indulge in it. The racoon girl breathed deeply, reassuring herself that her master was still kind. She might not be able to convince him to drop his quest for revenge (it honestly would be hypocritical of her to do so), but she latched into his last words. They would not just focus on revenge; they would make the kingdom wish they never betrayed him.

The girl steeled herself, forging that promise in her heart. She would be happy and make her master happy.

"It seems we are all deciding to go into a highway to hell, right?" Felicia joked, lighting her pipe and taking a puff out of it. "You better make this really worth it, Fortress-kun! I still want to study all your magic, so you better protect us!" The witch declared with confidence, approaching the duo.

The hero took her sight in once more, eyeing all his party members slowly. He gave them a light chuckle, raising the left arm where his shield rested.

"I am the Shield, am I not? My duty is to protect!" He said. Raphtalia let go of his armor and wiped her eyes, puffing her chest with newborn confidence. Felicia gave him a lazy smile. Shadow moved closer to him, dipping her head in respect to her master.

Firo and Dera ran closer to him, hugging his legs.

"Master, Firo will do her best too~!" The blond girl spoke in her usual sing-a-song tone, raising her arms in the air in excitement.

The four-headed hydra hissed in an affectionate tone, rubbing her heads wherever she could against the hero.

Naofumi took their affection to his heart. At the beginning of his journey into this world, he might have only cared about himself and the means to his survival; yet, now where he was, promising to help one of his girls to achieve revenge. T_he world truly does spin weirdly_, he mused in his head. He also never let the shadow agent of the queen out of sight. He did not have any specific plan or message he wanted her to deliver to Melromark's Queen, but he guessed that his actions would be enough.

The queen wanted a puppet? A helpful cleaner that would bend to her whims? She would get nothing like that.

"Well then, it is time we move out." Naofumi called out, dividing his companions into three groups. He did not trust the queen's agent to not try some funny trick, so she would accompany him alone. Raphtalia and Firo would cause a ruckus at the front gates and hopefully distract the majority of the guards, which would allow Naofumi some time to skulk around. Hopefully he would manage to find Melty before long. And if he nicked some gold and silver from the mansion and the treasury, who could blame him?

Lastly, Felicia, Shadow and Dera would support the first group out of sight, aiding them and also scouting the castle.

He explained to the girls his idea, making sure to explain why he had divided them so.

"I chose the groups based on your performance. Don't hold back and be always on the move. If one of us finds Melty, we signal to each other. The time limit is thirty minutes." The hero explained, making sure that at least one person in each group could use some sort of flashy spell or skill. He had his **[Lantern Shield] **and the **[Focus Light]** skill to help him, Raphtalia had access to light magic spells and Felicia was a witch with a large range of magical spells.

"I'm pretty sure that I don't need to say this, but escaping is our priority. As soon as we find Melty, we get out." Naofumi said his last piece of information, eyeing the group. His girls all nodded to his explanation.

_Good, can't wait to get this party started. _The Shielder thought with a devious smirk.

"Shall we dance?!" He asked, his clothing morphing once more to wear his **[Stealth Suit]**. Everyone knew the plan and what they had to do.

"Let's rampage, Firo!" Raphtalia said with serious fire behind her voice, drawing her sword with a sharp move. The philorial was all too happy to agree, turning into her bird from and allowing the raccoon girl to mount her, the two rushing towards the front gates of the castle.

"Raphtalia-dono and Firo-dono need our support. We shall go now, master. Please, grant your blessings upon this worthless one." Shadow knelt in front of him, respectful as always. He gave her a headpat too, a quick chant of magic to answer her.

"_I, the Shield Hero, have read and deciphered the laws of thy power. Grant my allies the power to resist adversity and protect them from every harm._** First Aura!**" His support magic enhanced Shadow, a dull glow settling over her frame that enhanced her strength and stamina for about fifteen minutes. The rogue/assassin took her leave, bringing the witch over her shoulders while Dera rapidly slithered behind them.

As he saw them leave, the hero then focused his glance onto the queen's agent. "I suppose it is time that you finally accomplish your goal. Try not to be useless this time." His harsh words made the shadow wince quietly to herself. Being called useless so many times by the hero she was supposed to be helping and winning over to her kingdom must have been a new low among the shadows of Melromark.

They made their way to the castle, Naofumi observing the rampage of Raphtalia and Firo as the duo made their way to the gates. Any guard that tried to stop them was kicked far, the philorial not messing around. It was a surprise to Naofumi when Firo began using wind magic to enhance her speed, speeding past any trouble that might try to halt their crusade.

They were on the bridge that connected led to the castle gates, more guards standing around now alert to their rush. To be fair, the girls were not trying to be stealthy, the rushing sound of wind alerting anyone in their surroundings of their presence.

The Shield Hero was further surprised when his HUD blinked into existence, alerting him that the two were performing a **[Combo Attack]**.

"Firo-chan! Let's blow past them with one hit!" Raphtalia shouted to her companion, raising her sword high into the air.

"Yeah!" The philorial exclaimed her agreement, the wind aura around the two shifting. It began gathering around Raphtalia's sword, turning into a strong gale that spun around the metal with possible deadly force. The raccoon girl had a fierce expression settled over her face, absolute confidence in her stance atop her fluffy ride.

For the guards around the gate, it might have looked like a beautiful painting, if not for the fact that the winds were coming towards them.

"Bar the gates! Intruders!"

"Those are the Shield Demon's companions!"

"Invaders!"

The orders of the soldiers were delayed, no one expecting such a frontal assault against them. The hero's smirk grew even further.

The winds surrounding Raphtalia's sword howled like a storm, the girl finally completing the downwards slicing motion as they were ten meters away from the imposing wooden gates. The distance mattered not for them, their plan a total success.

""**First **_Rending Swallow!_""

The gale of wind flew from the sword, the illusion of it morphing into a bird all that the guards managed to catch as the attack slammed into the gates of the castle, the wood emitting loud sounds as the magic began drilling into it. The gates resisted as best as they could, but under the might of the magic they had no chance.

The wood splintered and broke apart into various chunks, Raphtalia and Firo rushing past them and blowing away the reinforcements that were coming. It was quite the comical sight, many men blown back by the two girls.

Naofumi took the chance, the guards distracted by the rampaging duo, and entered through the hole made by his girls. There a few remaining guards, most likely left to ensure no more intruders made their way inside the castle. They should have left.

The hero did not take into account the help of the queen's agent, not trusting her to be useful to him. He took a quick head count of the remaining guards, five in total. Two were closest to the gates, armed with swords, while the remaining three were closer to a small building, possibly the knight's garrison or a resting area for them. The Shielder rushed the two, hitting the first with a left shoulder check. As the guard fell down, Naofumi spun with a backhand strike into the second guard, the broken nose putting the man out of commission.

He did not bother with the remaining three at the back, the men already down as a purple haze settled over them. A light use of Dera's poison; they would not die, yet they would not feel very good either when they woke up. Not that it mattered to the hero, since by the time they awoke, he would be long gone.

The Shielder turned his attention back to the first guard knocked down, seeing the man stand up and draw his weapon to fight.

"Shield Demon!" The guard exclaimed in surprise, making Naofumi scoff at him. The man immediately rushed the hero, sword raised into an amateur's stance. Even if Naofumi could not use a sword, the countless hours of training with Raphtalia gave him a pretty good idea of the basics of swordsmanship. The hero did not block the incoming overhead slash, merely sidestepping allowed him to dodge the attack, his foot stuck out and tumbled the guard once more into the ground.

_This is how Melromark trains soldiers? No wonder they need the four holy heroes to do their job for them. How in hell did this country last this long?!_ Naofumi wondered, bringing one foot to step over the man and pin him on the ground.

"Lord Shield-sama, If this useless one may?" The queen's agent spoke, finally managing to move. The shadow unit was once more impressed with the hero, the way he commanded his companions akin to the Master of Whispers of Melromark, an effective and strategical mind. "Instead of killing him, how about you extract information from him? Since he is one of Earl Butamaru's guards, he might know the location of Melty-sama." She proposed. She was aware that Naofumi might already have the idea in his mind, but at this point the agent was grasping at any straw she could.

The soldier put his best bravado, even when the weight of the boot of the Shielder on his back made his armor release odd noises that should not be releasing.

"I-I won't-t tell y-you anything, you d-demon!" The agent wanted to smack the soldier into submission. She almost made her way to him, but Naofumi picked the man from the ground, moving towards the small building. He kicked the door open, no one inside the garrison. It served the purposes of the Shielder alright.

Naofumi changed his shields, the** [Spy Master Shield]** turning into the **[Chimeric Viper Shield]**. The **[Stealth Suit] **returned into Naofumi's armor, changing the aesthetic of the hero from an intel gatherer/Assassin to that of a bandit leader. The shadow unit did not know what was better right now.

"Right then. I'll give you one choice. You can tell me what I want and be free, or you can make me force you to tell me what I want and get hurt. Your choice; I'll be happy with whatever you end up picking." The dark gleam in the hero's eyes told the guard that the Shielder was not playing around. _Truly a Shield Devil._

The snake decorations of Naofumi's shield began moving, turning into very much alive vipers. One of them hissed and attacked the soldier, piercing the chainmail armor he wore as if it was tissue paper; the soldier screamed, unbelieving that Naofumi had managed to attack him.

"You see, I am the Shield Hero. That means I don't have truly reliable or continuous methods to attack, but it also means I have a ton of other utilities that work just as well as any attack. That viper that bit you just injected you with enough poison to kill 10 good soldiers. I reckon you have about five minutes to live, unless I give you the antidote. Now, you wouldn't piss me off and make me drop the only flask I have with me now, would you?" Naofumi asked, pulling out a glass vial from his hip pouch, the refreshing scent of expensive medicinal herbs emanating from it.

The soldier was already working up a fever, sweat quickly building over his forehead as a red hue settled over his face. The man fought back the urge to hurl, his stomach terribly upset by the terrible venom running in his bloodstream. The soldier's vision was beginning to spin around, darkness settling over the corner of his sight. He was quick to latch onto the closest person to him, his head looking up slowly. The sight of Naofumi's devious smile and hateful eyes made the soldier lose his grip upon the hero's armor, falling over his back akin to a potato bag.

"_I-I will-l tell y-you anything that you need...j-just...j-just d-don't l-let me diehhhhh..._.." The man's speech began to slur, his vision spinning continuously. If the queen's agent was unimpressed with the performance of the soldiers before, now all she could feel was pity upon these foolish men. Not that she could pretend to have been better when Naofumi worked her over, but shifting the blame upon this unfortunate one did make her feel better about herself.

Naofumi scoffed, opening the cap off the potion and shoving the contents in the soldier's mouth. Only so much as to keep the soldier from the far end, as the Shielder grabbed the man and roughly pinned him against the wall. The man groaned, still weak from the fast-acting venom, but Naofumi slapped him a few times to keep him awake.

"Hey, Hey! No napping off now!" The hero shook the soldier, startling the man.

The man tried to stand on his own, but his legs had no strength to support his weight. It would be a foolish endeavor to try and flee now, considering that even if by some miracle the Shielder slipped up and let him go, there was a Shadow Agent right behind him. The agents of the queen were unrelenting in their job for the matriarch of Melromark. The Soldier decided that his life was had more worth than his "honor" for Ninguenyami's Lord. With baited breath, the soldier spilled every last bit of information he knew to Naofumi.

Each word that left the man's mouth stoked the hate flame in Naofumi's stomach more and more. The Shield Hero knew that the nobles of Melromark were trash, but for them to steep this kind of low was infuriating for him. They had condemned him, and even now were plotting his demise merely so that they could enjoy a few more golden coins in their treasuries; for a bit more of fame and prestige under the banner of the _righteous ones_ that banished the Shield Demon; so that they could continue enforcing their human-supremacy act, blaming others for their never ending greed.

What further enraged Naofumi was that the other three idiots believed almost zealously that he had done all the wrong deeds of the world. Their view was so warped in favor of themselves that they were willing to ignore all the other wrongs of this world, so long as they benefited from it; and then, they had the gall to point at Naofumi and preach at him, calling him the wrong one.

The hero suppressed his rage as best as he could until the end, listening to the soldier as he memorized the information he had received. It took colossal effort for Naofumi to not burn the man to a cursed crisp. As the soldier finished his "report"', the Shield Hero sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

A fast kick from his steel-clad boots put the soldier out of commission for the while, whereas Naofumi simply cast a detox-spell over the soldier, cleansing him of all the venom running in his system.

Naofumi once more sighed, annoyance and tiredness mixing into an uncomfortable mix as he looked back at the queen's shadow. "How was your great plan to save the princess from this fat fuck?" The Shielder asked, his green eyes becoming slitted, resembling those of a serpent. Or a dragon. Whatever it was, the agent had no doubt that any response she gave him would disappoint him even further. Yet, she could not bring herself to give him any dignified answer. What was she to say?

_We were counting in your ever-so-great tolerance to help and save the princess from the hands of the church-backed nobles. Never once it ran through our minds that those same nobles might kidnap the princess; or worse, because would they be so stupid?_ The shadow let the thoughts swim in her head, before she came to an even worse conclusion. _Our queen knew it was a risk, but remaining idle would be even worse; that being the case, she bet all her chips upon Naofumi-dono, completely aware of the risks she was putting her daughter into._

The agent didn't know what to say.

Her silence was more than enough for Naofumi.

"I thought so." He said, marching out of the garrison. The agent followed him out of instinct, as a myriad of thoughts ran in her mind. He proceeded to make his way to the treasury, not before using his **[Lantern Shield]** to signal the way to the personal quarters of Butamaru. He could use a few extra gold coins; besides, the fat noble would not be missing them when Naofumi ran his fade by bashing his skull in with his shield.

Due to Firo and Raphtalia's rampage, the guards that normally would be guarding the key points of the manor were all being deployed to deal with them, meaning that Naofumi had quick walk to the treasure room. Walking through absurdly decorated halls with tasteful painting, Naofumi rapidly found the room that he was looking for.

The locked doors were not a challenge to him, as he merely melted the metal bindings of the doors with his cursed flame, taking the opportunity to feed them to his shield. The green gem consumed half of the gates before it unlocked other shields for him, after which Naofumi simply began running around the room, the piles and piles of treasure being sucked inside the **[Currency-Holder Shield II]** as if it was a vacuum. It took the sum of 5 minutes for Naofumi to rob the place clean, not leaving a single coin behind.

Not only had he taken the money, but also any and every other treasure was taken. Precious metals, jewelry, precious gems and all that was slightly of value was feed to his shield. The agent was impressed with the way Naofumi cleaned the vault, ruthless to a fault. Like a thief of the night, except he was doing so out of retribution.

"Consider it payment for damaging my image." He joked to himself, already leaving the empty husk of a vault behind him.

"Naofumi-dono...This one is inclined to ask, what about the populace of the town? Corrupted as the lord is, those are taxes that came from the hard work of Melromark's citizens. Might you be able to spare them of this...forceful acquisition of their safety funds?" Even as ashamed of her country as she was, it was her work to ensure that Melromark survived. It was her bound-duty as a shadow to support her country in any way, even if said means were not the cleanest.

The Shield Hero did not grace her the time of the night, too busy marching to the personal quarters were Lord Butamaru was sure to be. He did, however, gave her a response.

"Yeah? And what about the demi-human slaves that were forcefully brought here? Stripped of their families and possessions to enrich this town? Should they rot and die? What about the slaves right under us, that have life-forces so low they might as well be considered dead? Where is their safety fund? Where is their salvation? Where is their mercy? If I was not strong enough, would this not be happening to me right now instead?" Each word he said echoed with his steps as Naofumi continued his path to the Lord's quarters. The queen's agent hid her face under her hood, otherwise she might show the wince she had.

The hero spared her not even a glance, continuing his way. She would follow him if she knew what was good for her health and for the future of Melromark. _My queen, please pray to the gods that the Shield Hero's rage is quenched with only this much._

On their last corridor before they reached the noble's quarters, one of the walls to their right burst open, the cloud of dust settling down to reveal Naofumi's party, ready to join him. Firo and Raphtalia were completely fine, if a bit tired from their repeated battles. Naofumi quickly cast his aura buff upon the entire group, getting them ready to face anything that would happen on the other side of the decorated wooden doors.

"Are you all ready?" The hero asked, glancing at his party. Raphtalia and Firo were more than ready, their eyes almost screaming their intent of murder. Shadow and Dera simply nodded, aware of their job. Felicia shook her head with suppressed mirth, merely enjoying the smoke from her pipe. "Then, we have a princess to fucking rescue." Naofumi said, finally turning the corner to the corridor. A few guards stood outside the door, surely the last people that they might have to face while here. Not a challenge to the Shielder and his party. They looked extremely surprised that the intruders had reached this place. Not for long though.

"Master, I want to safe Melty-chan!" Firo exclaimed, wind already surrounding the philorial. Naofumi looked at her from the corner of his eye, then back at the door.

"Firo. Charge!"

The words barely left Naofumi's mouth before Firo shot ahead like a bullet, the wind howling around her indicating what would happen should anyone try to stop her. The soldiers barely managed to jump away from the freight train named Firo, the wooden doors that blocked her path could never be considered a challenge for her.

"When did she learn wind magic?" Naofumi let the question float, making his way to the room unimpeded, seeing as before the guards could react, Raphtalia and Shadow were already upon them. The raccoon girl withdrew her sword from her waist, scabbard still sheathing the blade, and with one powerful blow she knocked the man out. The shadow of the Shield decided to follow the example of the elder slave, beating the pommel of her dagger over the helmet of her target until the man stopped.

As Naofumi entered the room, he immediately took notice of everyone inside. Butamaru had a few guards in the place, the soldiers holding the bruised and beaten Lord of Shiramo. On the other side of the room, Butamaru was much closer to Melty's personal space than what could be considered polite. That the man was holding Melty by her shoulders with visible strength and the girl had some tears staining her face, there wasn't much one could not guess simply by using their eyes.

"Alas! The Shield Demon himself has come to present me with his head! And he has brought gifts too! Such a considerate fellow! A pity that the gods have decided you shall fall!" Butamaru was quick to turn around, withdrawing a dagger from his hip and placing it against the princess' neck. "Now, Shield Devil, surrender yourself to the chosen one of the heavens, and you might just be able to die with some dignity!"

Naofumi was watching the sad spiel of the fat noble with tired eyes. _Seriously, this shit had passed the point of angering me, and is just a bother now._ His thoughts were clearly written all over his face, making Butamaru gain a red coloration all over his face. Naofumi almost ordered Shadow to act, but the Raphtalia beat him to the punch.

The raccoon girl took a few steps to the front, her hair hiding her eyes from the noble. The tension inside the room was great, but Naofumi wanted nothing to get in the way of Raphtalia. She would decide what she was to do with this bastard, and Naofumi was willing to spare no measure to assure that she could choose. Thus, he put one hand behind his back and signaled to Shadow, the girl whistling a quick sound to confirm she had received her orders.

"I hope that you remember all the cruel acts you forced upon us. All those tortures and all the beatings. How cruel you were to us, happy to hear our scream simply for your delight. I hope that you remember all of that, because I do. I will never forget that!" Raphtalia rose her head, her eyes wet with unshed tears of frustration and pain. The noble had wide eyes as he took in the features of the demi-human girl.

"Y-you are that raccoon girl! The one that was always smiling!" Butamaru said, surprised that Raphtalia was even alive, much more in front of him. Said surprise had him lower his dagger away from Melty's neck. And that was when Naofumi struck!

"**[Air Strike Shield]**!" His magic manifested as a green shield between Melty and Butamaru, pushing them apart from each other. Immediately, the shield disappeared and Raphtalia capitalized the advantage. A quick draw and a lunge attack had her sword dig into the noble's left shoulder, the blade carving a deep line across the area as Butaramu fell on the ground, clutching the wound and screaming.

Naofumi quickly made his way to Melty, the girl was tossed without care on the ground, staring with red eyes at the noble. Her head turned to meet Naofumi, the wet sheen of her eyes increasing as she took in the sight of the Shield Hero.

"N-n-naofumi! Why?" Melty's voice cracked, the noise grating at the ears of the hero.

He scoffed, running a hand through his wild hair. "Who knows?" He glanced at the legs of the princess, seeing that she could not stop trembling. The implications of what would happen had Naofumi being late were better left unsaid. The rage in his gut began sparking again, but he decided to see what Raphtalia would do. He carefully picked Melty up, observing her reaction to his hand reaching for her. Her hands trembled badly as she took his own, heavily leaning on his frame as she tried to steady herself. He allowed it for now, seeing as the girl was just about to break into tears. He guessed that she was trying to put up a front, to seem strong in front of him. _Honestly, if you are going to cry, I prefer that you hadn't done all of this in the first place,_ he mussed in his thoughts, seeing Raphtalia hack at another part of Butamaru.

The raccoon girl was quick on her feet, another dozen shallow slashes added to the already large gash on the noble. The man tried to call for his guards.

"WHAT ARE YOU IMBECILES DOING? PROTECT ME?" His call fell on deaf ears, since the soldiers were knocked out, Shadow standing guard over them as Felicia used the pile of unconscious bodies as a resting chair. "HOW?" The noble howled, his eyes darting to all corners of the room in hopes of finding someone willing to help him. When he found nothing, the man immediately kneeled in place.

"Please, stop this! I beg of you! Is there anything that you want? I own various riches; I can get you anything! The church is my backer, they can protect you and even guarantee your protec–…" Butamaru noticed his pleas were falling on deaf ears, as Raphtalia looked even more infuriated by his behavior. She almost got another slash in, however, Butamaru managed to crawl to the back of his room, where something rested over the fancy desk.

**CRACK!**

The sound of a whip crackled, the noble using his good arm to wield the tool. "Filthy demi-human! How dare you rebel against your superior!? I have fought against your kind before! I will not be brought down by a disgusting follower of the Shield Devil." Butamaru shouted, spit flying out of his mouth as he swung the whip again, fully intent on hitting Raphtalia.

The raccoon girl was still for a couple of seconds, a sudden torrent of scenes flashing by her mind as she heard the crackle of the whip. The torture, the sadness; those dark days where she could only maintain her sanity by clinging to the promise of the flag. That flag that represented a shield. The Shield Hero, he who would was kind to demi-humans and would save them again and again, no matter the instance.

Before the leather weapon could mare her skin, Raphtalia had already entered action. Her sword flashed, reflecting the light of the lamps inside the room as she made an upward cutting motion.

"_Crescent Moon!_" Raphtalia shouted the name of the technique she developed, the steel cutting the tortuous leather which had plagued many of her nightmares. She smiled, even when tears began pouring out of her eyes, since even if she had not moved, there was a wall at her side that would protect her.

Her sword arched backwards, the girl taking advantage of the motion to execute another attack. Raphtalia spun together with the arch of the blade, using the momentum to aid her next move, a trusting attack. "_Purple Lightning!_" The name of the attack was justified, as her blade almost vanished as she plunges the sharp weapon deeply inside Butamatu's torso, the man widening his eyes as the cold bite of steel registered.

Raphtalia let go of the handle of her blade, a relieved expression finally being displayed across her face.

"This is for Lifana-chan and all the people of my village!" Butamaru could not utter words as he stumbled backwards, blood already coming out of his mouth. He looked at the sword inside his torso, unbelieving of it.

To Naofumi, it seemed as if Raphtalia had no wish to continue with this. For all causes, she had already killed Butamaru, it was only a matter of time until either blood loss or sepsis set in and killed the fucker. Yet, that was not closure for Naofumi. Magic was a big factor in this world, and if any healer reached the noble, he could be back on his feet. The hero looked at Raphtalia, a question displayed across his face.

_Will that be all?_

The raccoon girl looked at him with a focused expression. "We have Melty-chan. If we can rescue the demis in the dungeon bellow, I am more than satisfied!" It seemed as if a weight had been lifted from the girl's back.

The hero cracked his knuckles, sparks of dark flames appearing all around him. "Sure, we can help them. We already have Melty."

Butamaru was still focused on the sword goring him. The man had apparently gone into shock, but Naofumi had just the right recipe for that. As the Shield Hero approached the man, the cursed flames sprouted around him, the **[Wrath Shield II (Shield of Wrath II)]** snapping the noble out of his mind.

"I suggest you brace for it; people have told me that the flames do hurt quite a bit. I guess the title of _Devil of the __**Shield **_is quite fitting, right?!" Naofumi grasped Butamaru's wounded shoulder with his gauntlet-clad hand, the black flames instantly latching upon the flesh and clothes of the man and cursing him.

The flames quickly engulfed half the man, the curse quickly taking its intended effect. Butamaru grasped the rosario that hung around his neck, the silver accessory beginning to soften and melt. The man ripped the cross-like shape made out of the three "holy" weapons and snapped it, his screams of pain turning into mad laughter.

"DIE SCUM! YOU SHALL FEAR THE POWER OF GOD! HERETICS LIKE YOU WILL BOW TO GO–" Before Butamaru could utter anything else, Naofumi grabbed him by his face, the hero's hand effectively crushing the noble's face and not allowing speech.

"Shadow!" Naofumi called out, like one would call for a simple task to be done. Like she never had left his side, the assassin/rogue almost materialized in front of Naofumi, and with one move her dagger flashed out in a crescent arc across Butamaru's throat. The cut was clean, Shadow's dagger only lightly stained with the man's blood. One could say she had splendidly copied Raphtalia's move and adapted to use with her shorter weapon. Or maybe it was the reverse, and she had taught the raccoon girl the move.

Whatever the situation, it was done. The noble's eyes were already dulled out, and Naofumi wanted nothing more with this garbage. The hero threw Butamaru's corpse out by the window, like one would throw trash. The fat body broke the glass pane, alerting whoever was down there of the noble's unquestionable demise.

Naofumi's HUD flashed to his eyes, alerting him that some random event was happening. He glanced quickly at the menu, skimming it before putting it away. Whatever it was, it could wait a few moments. He did not dignify Butamaru one last look through the window, merely opting to exit the room.

"Raphtalia, girls! Let's go. We have some people to help." Naofumi called out, almost exiting the room. Before he did though, he turned to Shiramo's Lord, the androginous looking man. Said noble was leaning on the closest wall, his face swollen and his glasses cracked. The hero kneeled in front of the man and began casting healing and support type spells. "Thanks for not spilling the beans. I hope that we are square with this." After burning through the entirety of his mana pool, Naofumi helped the lanky man up to his feet.

"It was nothing exceptional, although I will thank you for saving the princess." The man pushed his glasses up, before noticing that it would not make a difference. "I would try to offer you a reward, but I'm pretty sure you already helped yourself. I would do the same." The noble laughed, making Naofumi raise one corner of his mouth in a devious manner.

"A favor for favor. If you want to give me something, I'm open to gifts." The Shielder said, exiting the room.

The group began making their way to the dungeon under the manor, commotion inside the castle becoming more prominent as some peasants were invading by the broken castle doors. Naofumi noticed that the majority of those were demi-humans.

"It seems your people have come to your rescue." Naofumi joked with the noble, the man surprised as he watched the commotion. The way to the dungeon had the background noise of the invasion, the majority of the remaining soldiers giving up as they witnessed their liege dead close to the Sealed Monument. Not that that was his business anymore.

Following the path that the guard had told him previously, Naofumi and his groups finally reached the dark dungeon where he could detect the weakened life-forces. As the light of his **[Lantern Shield] **and Raphtalia's light magic lit the stone halls, Naofumi wished he could further bring pain to the bastard.

_Sickly._

_Weak._

_Famished._

_Tortured._

That was the state that he found some of the demi-humans locked in this basement. The smell of death and sickness filled the stale air with a pungent smell, bodily fluids being the smaller of the stenches that wafted up to Naofumi's nose. His mouth split into a vicious snarl, puffs of cursed flame exiting his mouth with each breath the hero took.

Melty hurled by the corner, the girl still following Naofumi and his group. The queen's shadow at least was trying to do her job, fully encouraging the girl for their departure before they sparked the flame of hatred inside Naofumi.

Naofumi, on his part, reached the closest jail cell bars and pulled. The metal bars groaned under the strain, not managing to contain the fury of the Shielder. The bars snapped off, the noise awakening the weak rabbit demi-human. It was a boy, covered head to toe in purple bruises and dirty as all hell. His health was also critical, considering he had not eaten apparently in days.

Naofumi chugged another mana potion from his hip pouch, not caring if later he would get mana sickness due to the frequent abuse to his mana pool, filling it and spending it this quickly.

"First Heal!" The magic barely had effect, but it was better than nothing. The hero searched his pouch for a supplement pill, finding only three. It will have to do! He exclaimed, breaking said pill in half and feeding it to the kid. He carefully put said kid over Firo, going for the next.

Naofumi did not stop until all cells were cleared out, the last two being side by side. He could feel that these two had the weakest life-forces out of the twenty-four slaves that he found in this sick place. The majority were weakened, but could manage to walk, the few that were too weak over on Firo's back.

Naofumi approached the cell, finding a demi-human chained to the wall. Also a kid, with what he guessed were dog or wolf ears over his head. The hero made to reach the cell, but Raphtalia beat him to the punch.

"Kiel-kun!" She shouted with vigor, Naofumi guessing it was someone from the girl's previous village. He handed her his second to last healing potion, opting to let Raphtalia take care of the kid. He quickly made his way to the last one.

The demi-human girl was over on the ground, his skill barely picking up life from her body. She was beyond malnourished, her hands little more than bone covered flesh. Naofumi was not a savior of all, but seeing a child being treated like this just infuriated him. The only thing maintaining his sanity right now was the fact that he could still save her.

He kneeled by her side, taking the utmost care to prop the girl up to tend to her. He slowly rose his water flask to her lips, but the girl would not drink it. There was some commotion on the cell where this supposed "Kiel-kun" was at, some shouting and then wailing. Naofumi barely heard it, busy with treatment of this girl. He brought the last half of a nutritional pill to his mouth and crushed it, filling his mouth with some water before he joined his lips to the smaller girl's. It was forceful mouth-feeding, but at this point it was a miracle the girl was even alive.

Her body seemed to react a bit, glowing softly with the colors of his magic. _It is not too far; I can save her. _He fought on, constantly casting healing magic so as to tether her life-force and maintain it, as weak as it was. He took off his cape and wrapped the girl with it, hopefully bringing some warmth to her cold and weak body.

_I'm the Shield Hero, dammit! I specialize in healing and support! I can save a life that is fucking right in front of me! I can do this! My magic is geared towards this!_

**[Paladin Shield unlocked!] [Savior Shield unlocked!] **

Naofumi would continue his treatment, but a sudden rumbling shook the entirety of the dungeon, before his HUD once more flashed.

_**[Seal Ritual has failed maintaining its integrity. The holy seal has been dispersed]**_

_**[Tyrant Saurus Rex has been released from the Seal!]**_

Whatever this thing was, it was getting in the hero's way. He promised Raphtalia to save these demis, and Naofumi was a man that would honor his word. Whatever this thing was, it would not get in his way.

It would know the fury of the **Shield Hero.**

It was time to release the **Dragon of Wrath.**

**[XXX]**

* * *

**[XXX]**

Fitoria looked at the night sky, sensing the mana of the world being disturbed by an abomination. It was supposed to have been sealed away, but corruption trying to rear its claws upon the world once more.

The Philorial Queen wondered if this had anything to do with the recent change in the mana of the world. One of the primordial veins, which fueled the Four Holy Weapons, had changed to a darker power. She could try to fix the mana, but the **[Will of the World]** itself had already registered the change, meaning it was recognized as something that would save the world.

The Queen used her connection to the mana to try and peak the location where the abomination had spawned. A human town which had been built around the Seal.

Fitoria sighed.

_This was the work of the petty squabbling among the Four Cardinal Heroes, wasn't it?_

Fitoria hoped that this Shield Hero would be comprehensible. They had a world to protect, why bother with insignificant pride? What did it matter if the Shielder could not attack? It was not his function to do so!

The **[Will of the World]** gave her mana for a teleport. It was asking her to intervene.

Fitoria sighed.

"I miss you, my master!"


	15. Shield, Scales and Feathers

**AU NOTES.**

**OK, it is enough China, we get it. You want to be a superpower and stuff, but this Covid shit really needs to stop. It has sucked all my creativity dry, which is why this chapter is shorter than usual and later than what I expected.**

**Enjoy it and give your thoughts on the review section.**

* * *

**Chapter 15: [Shield, Scales and Feathers.]**

Naofumi was a man that prefered to deal with troublesome things as soon as possible, so as to have the most amount of free time after his duties were done. This world had offered him little free time so far, that with him being busy trying to survive at any cost. As such, after drinking the last of his mana potions, he began making his way out of the dungeon, instructing his group to follow him with a single move of his head.

"Take them out of here." The Shield Hero turned to Shiramo's Lord, the request in Naofumi's eyes clear for him to see. The androginous looking man nodded, pushing the broken glasses up to their perch over his nose.

"Worry not, Shield-sama. The demis will be safe in my town, I will guide them there."

Naofumi nodded to the man. He had little options at the moment, considering he had little to no supplies, everything had been left back in his wagon, the vehicle apprehended by the knights of the kingdom. The only chance of these malnurish and tortured people to survive was to put their trust on Naofumi, and the Shielder in turn had to put his trust on the nobleman. It left Naofumi with an ashen taste in his mouth, but he had to press on, considering that now he had to face a possible Boss-level monster summoned right in the middle of the town.

The Hero looked at his companions, the girls seemingly fully supportive of his actions. He took a deep breath, exiting the dungeon with a heavy heart. Naofumi and his group were quick to arrive at the plaza where the monumental seal was previously, now finding the marble construct to be nothing more than a pile of rubble at this point. Besides it, the creature that had been summoned roared in rage, its tail swinging around as the monster snarled once more.

**[Tyrant Saurus Rex, The Ever-Hungry. Lv.150]**

As Naofumi glanced at the monster, his eyes widened. He hadn't had to deal with monsters that high-leveled before, at most the difference would be of 15-20 levels, such as the time he had won a duel against Motoyasu. Even his group understood that the enemy in front of them was several dozen levels above themselves, sweat running down their backs as they noticed that the creature's eyes had focused on them.

Firo ruffled her feathers, wind already surging around her as she frowned at the enemy. Dera hissed loudly, her mouth dripping her most foul concoction of venom, the magenta-colored sludge corroding the stone floor where it dripped. Raphtalia had her tail stand up straigth, her sword already drawn out and ready for a very difficult fight; at her side, Shadow was also ready for a long exchange, a great length of Metal Thread Wire already being drawn out. Felicia took off the heavy coat she was previously wearing, stuffing the clothing inside her witch hat before she pulled out her silver staff. It was obvious that the girls were ready for a fight, Naofumi himself not different. Yet, he did not order their typical fighting formation.

It would not do to fight right in the middle of the castle, considering the slow pace of the rescued demis, there would be no way for them to have already left the castle, even if they had been carried by the other citizens that came from Shiramo Town. The castle, while on an elevated cliff, was still in the midst of the town, which limited Naofumi's mean to fight. He wasn't exactly caring for the lives of the people of Ninguenyami, but it would not do to have them be killed by the Jurrasic Park-look-alike; the Hero wasn't aware if the RPG-system of the world worked equally for Boss-monsters, but he preferred to not risk it and feed the already very difficult foe more Experience Points.

It would be the bane of his existance if the Tyrant Saurus Rex leveled-up during their fight.

As the situation seemed ready to escalate into full-blown combat, the Hero decided his course of actions. Which began by grabbing Felicia by her waist with one hand, turning to Raphtalia and bringing her over his shoulder and jumping atop Firo with one smooth move.

The Spacial Rend Witch released a most indignified scream as she was startled by Naofumi's sudden actions. While her witch's robe was made of durable cloth, it wasn't curred or boiled leather, thus the sensation of Naofumi's strong and calloused hand wrapping around her midsection was a fully transmitted to her skin as his strong arm spread a dull heat across where they held her. Felicia made sure to smack the hero on the head with her staff, the action more of annoyance than actual shame.

The act was barely registered by the hero, the man busy as he extended his hand for Shadow to grab, Firo already taking off towards one direction away from the castle; the route calculated to cause the least amount of destruction on the city. Less people would be complaining about reparations, if the situation ever come to such a troublesome scenario. Naofumi would not put past these people to do so, even while he saved their very lives from the summoned Boss Monster. Thus, he guided Firo as she ran over the rooftops, using her extremely agile and powerful legs to push the entire party to a more secluded location, the Boss already following them. The creature seemed to be short on the intelligence aspect, stubbornly following the group almost as if attracted to them by something irresistible.

**[...ive! Pow... Core..s! Apotheo...is MINE!]**

A far away voice echoed inside the Hero's head, the bloodlust that came along something the Shielder had already experienced in the past. A lust for power, for something that would grant sovereingship over heavens and earth. Something that could truly be described as **[Power]**. Naofumi felt his heart began to pound with a hymm that was not his own. Akin to a whisper, a weak voice that would be lost if cast on the wind, it began singing praises of this unknown power.

"Naofumi-sama, are you alright?" Raphtalia asked, clearly worried about him. It made the hero look at her curiously; he was worried about the situation of course, but was it showing that much on his face? His question was answered when Felicia pulled something out of her hat, the item a small hand-mirror. It wasn't made of glass, but of polished silver; yet, the reflective surface releaved a strange sight. He could recognize himself, but there were a few details that were different from the usual. His normally green eyes were slitted, weirdly resembling those of a reptile; his mouth felt strange, out of place, too small for it to be truly his. His teeth were also way sharper than what they were supposed to be. Naofumi widened his eyes and the reflected image did the same, confirming that it was indeed him in front of the mirror.

"What the hell?!"

The witch put her hand mirror away, lightly pushing his head to face forward, where they soon would be exiting the town for the surrounding forest.

"You can worry about your sudden additions later, Fortress-sama. Now it is time for us to focus on this encounter; I have a feeling we don't have a second to spare." The witch said. Almost as if to destify to that, the Boss Monster roared once more, the deafening noise sounding much closer than any one would like it. Dera accumulated a fair amount of her purple gunk, the four heads of the Hydra Snake releasing the foul concoction like a wave of sludge. The thick fluid managed to stick to the Tyrant Rex, immediately burning away at the scales of the gigantic creature. An obnoxious, magenta-colored smoke began to emit from the spots where the gunk had managed to cling to, but it seemed that all Dera's efforts only annoyed the Boss Monster further as it lunged to attack them.

"FIRO, WATCH OUT!" Naofumi shouted, moving his hands backwards to cast a skill. **[Air Strike Shield]** materialized in front of the monster as a deterrant, **[Second Shield]** already under Firo to become a platform for the philorial to use as a boosting pad. The Shielder heard his first magical construct shatter as the Rex clenched its maw around the skill. The green shield resisted its best, giving Naofumi and his group precious seconds to further the distance between them and the Boss.

The group cut throught the forest line, emerging at a lake. The area around the body of water would have to make due for their fighting, considering he'd ran for quite a while now, and something felt wrong about the situation. It was almost like something was begging Naofumi to defeat the Rex, a pleading voice that seemed to far out of his reach, but also just within his grasp.

_"...hold for now...Help is on the way."_

Instead of intense bloodlust, now it felt as if someone had caressed his very soul, a soft touch that could belong only to a mother. Naofumi glanced at his shield, the gem of his weapon seemed to shine for a brief moment, the calming tone doing little to ease his worried mind. For now, the only thing the Shielder could do was trust in his weapon; but if it was for him to fight this thing, it needed to be on a power he could effectively rely upon. Making the Tyrant Rex give up was completely out of the question, the group's only alternative left was to fight and defeat it. Which seemed impossible with their current gear and skills. Except, there was one thing in which Naofumi always fell back on when things got out of his hand.

**[Wrath Shield II (Shield of Wrath II)]**.

The hero peeked at the skill tree for the **[Curse Series, Sin of Wrath]**, his vision not showing any sign of corruption or outside influence. He remembered the first time when he tried to use the shield, almost falling to the rage and hatred inside his own heart. He couldn't say he had completely won over it and could use it freely, but he learned to use the cursed shield effectively. It seemed that he would be forced to rely back on the curse of his rage. He took a deep breath and blinked the Status Screen away; _it is show time!_

"**RRRRROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!**" It seemed that the Tyrant Rex agreed with his inner thoughts, roaring its challenge as it finally reached the group. The eyes of the monster had full focus on the party.

"Naofumi." Felicia called the hero by his name, which rose several flags in his head. _For the love of God, please do not confess right now!_ He sarcastically joked. "It might sound crazy for me to say this, but isn't the boss solely focused on you?" Having pointed her theory out, the party realized the weird fact. Althought the Boss Monster wasn't ignoring them, its major focus was on the Shield Hero. Better yet, the creature seemed almost obssessed with the man. The witch, now having had time to focus and think about the situation, noticed a few key details. The Boss Monster, while aggressive, hadn't gone on a rampage and destroyed its surroundings, contrary to the local legend that it was an ancient demon of thoughtless destruction; as soon as the creature had spawn, it began roaring and stand its ground, almost as if initiating some sort of challenge.

The moment the group - or specifically Naofumi - had exited the dungeon under the castle grounds, the Tyrant Rex focused on them and continued its round of roars and begann standing almost as if challenging the hero to a fight. It behaved wild and animalistic, but with a clear intent in its primal mind.

"Master, you armor is all shiny and stuff!" Firo commented, pointing her wings to his frame. True enough, his armor had a dull gleam about itself. More specifically, the gem cores engraved into his armor were shining, the glow seemed to be bathing Naofumi into some etheral light that escaped their notice until now as more worrisome matters had been their focus. The hero changed his current basic shield for the recently acquired **[Paladin Shield]**. A few skills were still locked, but this one was the strongest shield he had that wasn't his curse shield.

**[Paladin Shield]**

**+360 to Defense; + 200 to Magic Defense; + 45 to Magic Attack**

**+150 to Endurance; +50 to Charisma**

**-Skills: [Enhance Allies (small)] [Charging Rush] [Strength up (medium)]**

**-Bonus Skills: [Holy Magic (small)] [Paladin Attire (locked)] [Bidding Smite (locked)].**

The small shield changed to become a full Paladin's Shield, giving Naofumi a wall of steel with which he could defend. It went from his feet to his shoulders in length, being wide enough to cover his front completely. From an onlooker's view, it seemed that such shield would weight quite a lot, yet the Shielder lifted and yielded it with ease. He took his usual stance, being the first of the line and the one closest to the Rex.

The creature seemed almost delighted to have Naofumi in its eyesight, a hungry gaze that spoke to a primal part inside the hero. The faint whispers of his rage returned their soft ministration, as Naofumi noticed that the Boss Monster also had a dull glow emanating from its naturally armored underbelly. Equal in color, the glow called the attention of the hero in a way nothing else seemed capable right now.

**[...nally, challe...]**

The hero could swear he heard the words come from the monster in front of him, even while the creature had done nothing but emit growls and snarls. Naofumi almost released a growl of his own, focusing on the monster. Sweat run down his back, the Shielder fully aware that he had to play this fight very carefully if he wished to survive. Not thrive or win, survive.

There was a moment of quiet nothingness where even the wind seemed to stay still for a second. Then, the Tyrant Rex roared once more, this time a clear signal or the start of their battle.

The monster charged Naofumi, each step the Boss took causing a small quake. It resembled a freight train, the vision something that would surely nest fear in the heart of lesser men. Iwatani Naofumi wasn't just a man, neither was his party made of lesser maidens. The Shielder dug his heels into the ground, chanting a few of his buffing skills so as to increase his already absurd Defense status.

"**[Reinforcement], [First Aura], [Iron Defense], [Holy Aid]**!" The buffing complete - which encased the hero into a compressed veil of energy - Naofumi fixed his stance, the Boss monster just a few meters from reaching him. "When the blow hits, focus on getting whatever weak spot you can identify on it!" He shouted, the girls waiting their opportunity. The Tyrant Rex reached Naofumi in the span of a few moments, headbutting itself against the hero's shield with what sounded like a bomb had gone off. The mighty crack was followed by the dissipating shock waves that shook the very air behind the hero, even the lake parted its waters, so fierce was the impact. Yet, Naofumi resisted it. The Shielder wasn't moved an inch from his initial spot, even as his arms felt numb and he felt barely able to maintain his shield up, he managed to withstand the charging Boss.

Not a second passed before the girls sprinted into action.

Raphtalia was the first to move, sword flashing as she used her tecnique to hack at the Tyrant's trunk-like legs. What normally would be able to fell an enemy in one swoop barely seemed to phase the reptilian monster, the raccoon girl checking her sword to find the blade had been dulled and had a few nicks along the edge. Her eyes widened for a few moments before the girl retreated to a safe distance, Rex's tail passing by where she had been. Raphtalia returned to Naofumi's side with quick steps, trying to figure what she would do with her dull blade.

Shadow wasn't behind the raccoon girl, her many wire threads latching around the Boss' ankles, trying to dig at the very tough scaled hide. The threads did little, merely scratching the scales of the abomination. The rogue/assassin did try a few other tricks, but against the overwhelming lizard her weaponry was almost null. The agent began circling around the boss, dodging perfectly the few hits that came her way, be it a blind stomp or a tail bash.

Firo took Dera on her back and began pelting Rex with a series of attacks, retreatig at the mere sight of a attack coming their way. Guerilla tacticts at their finest, the philorial serving as the highly mobile unit and Dera as the de-facto attacker, her highly venomous gunk just about the most effective thing against the dranonid menace they were facing. In fact, besides Naofumi, the Tyrant Rex seemed to eye both the philorial and the Hydra snakeling with hateful eyes, snarling and roaring at the duo almost as if they were swore enemies of the boss. A multitude of purple spots began forming around the giant monster, noxious plumes of smoke emerging from all the spots Dera managed to hit.

Felicia was chanting something under her breath, her silver staff pulsing with power Naofumi could barely recognize. His **[Appraisal]** skill gave a few details about both the weapon and the skill being channeled into it, but there were many blanks to be filled as the only effective thing he could recognize was that the witch was casting an advanced spell. The Shield Hero didn't have to wait long for the answer to come, the witch approaching Raphtalia and touching the raccoon girl's weapon.

"_Oh void, all incompassing void! Answer my call, head my pledge and become the weapon that grants the deliverance I seek! Split apart the skies as I command and become the black edge which cuts all of creation. All Dritte Fall, **Spacial Rend!**_" As the witch finished her chant, the hero noticed the tremendous amount of mana that circled all the weapons of his group. From Raphtalia's sword, Shadow's many blades and Metal Thread Wire, to even Firo's mounted claws and finally Felicia's staff. Everything was covered in a layer of highly compressed mana, the attribute of the magic something that Naofumi could not analyze, but the hero had a fair guess of what it could be. After all, it was one of the reasons it had convinced Naofumi to take the witch with him in his travels, the letter from the Old Lady from the magic bookstore/shop was very clear on what were Felicia's skills.

A witch that understood very clearly dark magic, with knowledge and intelligence that allowed her to understand the principles of physics before even the national power that was the Faubley Empire. Felicia Zauberer was a witch that possessed **[Space Attribute Magic] **at her disposal. He'd seen a few of the spells she could cast, all of them very powerful, but also very mana consuming. Yet, nothing he had seen so far was comparable to the one she had just cast.

Raphtalia's sword was painted in a deep black that seemed to consume all light; if he wasn't paying attention, the hero of the shield would swear he was seeing the girl swing a piece of the cosmos vaguely shaped like a sword. More importantly, it seemed as if she cut anything with such a blade. Shadow was no different, her many weapons being painted with the rich tone of black that seemed to spell doom for anything that they touched. The rogue noticed that the mana cover was affecting even her many lenghts of Metal Thread Wire. Even Firo's claws had been coated, the philorial wasting no time attacking the Rex monster. For the first time in the fight, the Tyrant Saurus let out a surprised wail of pain, the metal claws of the philorial carving deep grooves in the boss, mangling the flesh underneath the tough scales.

"T-this is?" Raphtalia wondered about the spell, but shook her head to dispel her wonderment. There a very hard monster to slay right now, and she had received a helping hand, meaning it was not the time to be daydreaming. Her conviction renewed, the raccoon girl poised her sword to begin another sequence of strikes. "Purple Lightning! Crescent Moon!" The raccoon girl shot forward with a flex of her legs, her weapon now capable of easily piercing the tough scales of her enemy; such buff upon her weapon, the girl opted to attack using her trust attack, since now there was no way for her weapon to stay stuck. The blade easily pierced flesh, following the flick of the girl's wrist to ascend with a slicing motion that damaged Tyrant Rex's ankle and let it exposed for further attacks. The reptile tried to retaliate and bite the girl, but Raphtalia was long gone from its range of attack.

"ROOOOOOOOAAAAAAHHHHHHRRRRRRR!" The monster bellowed in rage, tilting and leaning its weight on the other leg. It tried to sweep everything in its path with its tail, tired of the bothersome pests that were delaying its reunion with another shard of core essence. It needed to challenge he-who-was-kin for the rights of apo*****. It had no time for these subordinates. It was a great mistake to underestimate them.

Felicia, who was resting after casting her magic, tapped Naofumi on his shoulder. The hero turned to face her. "Naofumi, block that strike!" The Shield looked at the witch, wondering if she had gone insane. He'd barely managed to stop the attack before, much less now that his arms felt like jelly, even with all his enhancements. The witch's eyes were burning with a light he hadn't seen previously. "We might win, just block that attack!" The Zauberer girl screamed to him, quickly casting another spell, this time the magic wrapped around both his and her feet.

"_First, **Sylphid's Rush**!_" Wind magic boosted the witch to the frontlines, where she would normally never be forced to be; it made him curse a loud "FUCK!" before he rushed to tank the blow.

Naofumi rushed to meet the incoming wall of flesh and muscle, roaring his own challenge as he raised his shield, swapping it his **[Wrath Shield II]**. Rage swallow his vision for a second before the veil of red vanished, Naofumi's armor following his will and becoming **[Berseker's Armor]**. As the metal shifted to resemble dracon scales, the hero angled his shield to be able to receive the incoming blow. Clenching his teeth, the Hero received the attack of the tail, feeling his arms receive the majority of the kinetic force and tremble greatly.

The hero exhaled greatly, wisps of cursed flame exiting his mouth. He reigned in the wish to activate his **[Self-Immolation Curse]**, since Felicia was just behind him, raising her staff as if she was going to melee strike the Tyrant Rex. It was not an illusion, she was aiming for such a thing.

"In the name of the Dragon God of Space, begone foul creature! Spacial Rend!"

The big fuck-off Scythe that she now held in her hands might be the reason why she was so confident with the blow. The blade was made up of the same energy that covered the other girls' weapons, the silver staff being the handle that the witch held. Her swing was clearly that of someone that wasn't used to dealing such hits, but mattered not in these circumstances; the still tail of the Tyrant Rex made for the perfect target of the weapon, as the energy of the void bysected the flesh limb like a plasma cutter.

The Boss Monster wailed in pain, the tail falling off on the ground, the stump bleeding a fair amount. Not that the hero held any pity for the demon; if anything, Naofumi's mind told him it was the perfect opportunity for an all-out attack against the Rex. It was just that that he commanded his group to do.

"ATTACK!"

Dera jumped from Firo, immediately targetting the still bleeding stump that was previously a tail. The Hydra Snakeling sunk all her teeth into the inner flesh, the surrounding area where her mouths clamped immediately turned into disgusting shades of purple, venomous gunk pumped at full force directly inside the Tyrant Rex. It tried to attack Dera with its remaining leg, but Shadow was quick to throw a multitude of knives at leg, many sinking into the ground around the limb, yet the leg stopped still, various bleeding lines beginning to flow from the bound leg, Metal Thread Wire imbued with the **[Space Attribute magic],** which allowed it to cut deep.

Both legs useless, the Monster fell right in front of the shield hero, who stared into the Rex's eyes.

"Burn!"

**[XXX]**

* * *

**[XXX]**

Fitoria emerged close to the surrounding forest where the abomination had been spawned, the **[Will of the World]** guiding her to the location. The many philorial that she brought with her began to spread around, serving as the relay points of the magical ward she would cast.

"Huh?"

She questioned no one in particular, tasting that foul air that entered her nostrils. Cursed magic.

It was bothersome enough that Dragon Emperor Cores were awakening, but to have Original Curse Magic around one of the Cardinal Heroes, the Philorial Queen wondered if killing them wouldn't be easier.

Fitoria let her power flood the surrounding area in a radius of 50 kilometers, well enough to cover the abomination's fighting area with plenty space to spare. All her subordinates were already in place, so she lazily tugged at the source of her magic. The ahoge on her head shone, fog emerging from the ground and spreading at an impossible speed.

"_All Revelation, **Fog Prison Barrier!**_" Chanting would be a waste of time, so she didn't do it. Merely saying what spell she wanted to enact was enough. As her barrier spread, a screen appeared in front of the Philorial Queen's eyes.

**[Source of Corruption Detected!]**

**[Abominations found!]**

Fitoria found weird that her power detected two blights instead of the single one reported by the **[Will of the World]**, but she dismissed it. No use worrying over something that she couldn't see; she would reserve judgement when she laid her eyes upon this threat. She let her magic expand around her form, increasing her size to her Royal form. The transformation took less than 10 seconds, allowing her to assume a form more capable of managing the bothersome foe spawned upon the world.

The queen pulsed magic through her ahoge, the Original Curse Magic that was irking her immediately jacked and weakened. She was curious as to why it wasn't completely supressed.

"I suppose I shall find it out soon enough."

**[XXX]**

* * *

**[XXX]**

Naofumi was still unbelieving that his party managed to survive the encounter with the Tyrant Saurus Rex, sweat soaking the hero's back. The monster lay on the ground, completely covered in cursed fire. Still, it was managing to survive through its high status, even under the assault of his black flames. He kept the curse active, waiting for Felicia to recover enough mana to cast another round of **[Spacial Rend]**, but her constant panting and sweaty contenance told Naofumi that she was mostly out for the count. Still, it was one amazing spell for someone who hadn't had a class advancement yet.

The hero wanted to be through with this monster, as such he would not rest until he was completely sure that the Rex was dead. If he had to spend the entire night making burning the monster to a crisp so be it. The monster would follow him to the ends of the world unless it was either destroyed or defeated, of that the Shield Hero was sure.

He glanced around, seeing his girls rest a bit after the rather short, yet still very intense battle. Shadow was guarding the perimeter as Raphtalia was taking a few pieces of the tail of the Tyrant Rex so that Naofumi could feed his shield new materials such as the hide, meat, sinew, bones and scales. His rage was under his control, not showing any signals of spiking up. Firo and Dera were eating the other part of the tail where the raccoon girl wasn't busy, but their eyes glanced a few times at the draconid burning under cursed fire.

Naofumi focused his efforts, but his HUD blinked to his vision, showing a bunch of new messages.

**[Detected arrival of multiple units!]**

**[Detected arrival of extremely powerful individual!]**

**[Sensing magic array being deployed. High-tier magic being cast!]**

A fog began to spread over the entirety of the lake, making for an ominous sight. Shadow immediately rushed to his side, sensing that something was amiss. Naofumi narrowed his brows, worried that something was about to attack him again. He tried to hurry his flames to exterminate the Rex, but suddenly found them weaking. Static ran through his HUD, a new message bring displayed to him.

**[ERROR! Interruption is being caused by High-leveled individual.]**

**[Wrath Shield II is being temporarily being sealed. Drag** Emper** Co*** resisting the influence of ?]**

**[Shield Hero Iwatani Naofumi has partially resisted the interference due to his job Hero(D*** Lo***) and bonus skill(Devil of the Shield). Wrath Shield II is being supressed back to (Shield of Anger I) until the interference is lifted.]**

Naofumi's armor forcefully returned to its usual appearance as the Shield Hero felt his power being supressed. Almost like a physical weight, the influence of this new arrival made the hero almost panic, seeing his most reliable weapon being so easily subdued.

From afar in the trees, a shape emerged. It greatly resembled Firo when she was in her bird form, except she would never grow that big. Whatever the case was, seeing the philorial did not ease the hero's heart, as his **[Appraisal]** skill only showed him question marks. No name, no level. Nothing was being displayed. It iced Naofumi's heart.

_"Don't use that hideous shield. I have arrived."_

A voice rang through the entirety of the forest, something that seemed to be forcefully calming his heart. _Mind magic? _

His questions weren't answered.

The philorial look-alike approached rapidly, the hero now being able to see what the other various units were. Philorials. An army of them.

Dera hissed at a few of the birds that approached her tail meal, Firo also complaining at those of her kin that approached her meal. Naofumi wished he could be as carefree as them, seeing as he was being stared down by the gigantic philorial. He was sure that the pink pupils followed his every move, a fact that did nothing but increase the heavy sensation in his stomach.

"I see that you mostly finished the abomination. Forgive me for being so rude, but I must not allow you near the core." The philorial was speaking to them, mostly to him, but the surprise factor had run out for the day to him. The bird slowly approached the burnt and cursed form of Tyrant Rex, looking over it like one glances at trash. "I see. You did not have what it takes to control it and your body grew out of proportion to accomodate the emperor core. A foolish creature, as expected of a dragon. I would ask that you hand it over in exchange for your life, but putting you out of your misery seems to be the most appropriate course of action." The big philorial raised one of her wings, then lowered it. In a single moment the body of the Tyrant Rex was sliced by a burst of wind magic, Naofumi being unable to follow as the opponent that seemed so out of their range was defeated with no effort whatsoever from this philorial.

It sparked something in his chest.

Naofumi saw the pile of flesh that had become the Tyrant Rex and sighed in defeat, squashing the dark feeling in his gut. If he hadn't already turned into mush, there must be a reason; meaning that this philorial giant probably wanted something with him. Otherwise why keep him alive; the philorial had power to end his life before he could even blink.

The bird looked at him for a few moments, wonder filling her eyes as she took in the sight of his cursed shield. As that happened, Dera slithered towards the flesh remains of the Tyrant Rex. Something was calling her among the piles of meat and bone, something akin to her master's aura. The Hydra snakeling found what had been calling for her. It resembled a pretty stone, like the ones that her master would grind against a weird metal rod to make them pretty. Dera wondered if master wanted the stone, or if she could have it to herself. She liked pretty things, but her master mostly gave them away in exchange for glittering gold. Dera liked gold, but she would never take any from her master without his permission. She wanted to be just like Firo, who could use magic to become human just like master, to ask it he could give her a few shiny things.

A weird voice tried to talk to Dera, but master always said to ignore strangers unless they tried to hurt the group. The voice was annoying though, so Dera wanted them to dissapear. She bit the stone with her four heads, each taking a mouthful of the stone. Dera wondered why the stone tasted so crunchy and good, so she gulped and took a few more bites. After reducing the stone to just one forth of what it was previously, Dera stopped eating the pretty stone and wrapped herself around the remaining bits, bringing them to her master. She didn't know why, but she had a feeling he would like it, just like how Raphtalia-neen-chan was used to always do.

Dera exited the pile of meat just before the big philorial began searching it.

**[XXX]**

* * *

**[XXX]**

Fitoria wondered if the** [Will of the World]** liked messing with her just because she was the longest living (and currently only alive) Subordinate Hero. The mana of the world was previously so out of balance, asking her to fix the mess. She came to this place to fix the problem, only to find that this generation's Shield Hero was somehow managing to fix the problem by himself.

She particularly hated the method he was relying upon, such a cursed power must never be used so carelessly by a hero. She tried to intervene with the curse, but it seemed that while weak, the Shield Hero had some backing from the [Will of the World]. Even more bothersome was the fact that he was using the power of the Dragon Emperor Cores, a power she also particularly dispassed from the bottom of her heart.

Dragons were foul, cunning creatures that should be exterminated. They aren't appropriate companions for their own kin, much less the cardinal heroes. This Shield Hero had a philorial queen candidate by his side, why in the sacred leyline was he using draconic might? Why did he had a dragonkin among his personal troops? The questions were many, and made the queen shake her head sideways.

To finish the troublesome events, the Dragon Emperor Core had vanished. She had only turned her head a few moments to try to commit this Shield Hero's face to memory, even if he would only be blur in her lifespan, and the thing was gone.

The philorial queen looked back at the draconian carcass. _At least the meat looks tasty._ She turned her gaze back to the stunned Shield and his companions. It was time that she introduced herself. A minor use of magic had her body shrink with a soft blue glow, her human form becoming apparent to the group.

"Greetings, this generation Shield Hero. I am Fitoria, Queen of the Philorials. I ask that you present to me the queen candidate that you have been raising, as well as explain the events that led to the release of that abomination."

Naofumi had a strained expression as he took the information presented to him. The hero returned his shield to its base form and tiredly ran a hand over his face. _How come these things only seem to happen to me? _His stomach grumbled a complain, reminding Naofumi that it had been a while since he had eaten. He looked at the pile of meat that was close by and an idea ran in his head.

"Before we even begin things, let me ask you one thing." He pointed to the meat pile. "Do you have a pot that I could use to cook that?" Naofumi asked.

Fitoria nodded to him, her opinion of the hero going up by the slightest of margins, her stomach also complaining to her.

"How about that?" Felicia asked, having to lean on Shadow to walk since she had spent most of her mana and was exhausted. "Am I invited? I always wanted to eat dragon meat."

The philorial queen pointed to another direction, making the group follow her finger. A carriage was the target, an ethereal glow about it made Naofumi narrow his eyes at it.

"We can talk as we go to my nest. There is much that needs an explanation. As Fitoria spoke, her gaze was always glued to Naofumi, the Shield Hero a bit uncomfortable under her gaze. Did she mean that he was the one that needed to explain things? Was she not aware that he was the visitor in this world?

Naofumi sighed. Now he understood why people collected vices as they dealt with adult life. He might not be able to get drunk, but a cold beer or a shot of thoat-burning Vodka seemed right just about now. He was going to invest more time in the brewery section of his alchemic studies.


End file.
